


Jade Kingdoms

by surenlicious



Series: Jade Kingdoms [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Psychological Torture, Psychosis, other characters of the royal family will be introduced later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-09 18:38:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11674857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surenlicious/pseuds/surenlicious
Summary: In the midst of the ancient Kingdom known as the Jade Kingdom, lives the descendants of the draconic monstrosity Vritra. Amongst their midst stands the only heir of the Royal family, Suren, desiring to be free of her family's shackles and attempts to heal and mend however she can as she strives to give her kingdom a new, just future. On the other end, stands her cousin Vandrake whilst also seeking to be freed of his family's shackles, becomes more destructive in the means to do so.In the distance of all this turmoil looms the Royal family's ancient curse stirring awake to reclaim each member one by one, hellbent on exacting its rancorous campaign as the feared Jade Construct draws closer.





	1. Jaded Deprivation

To live for centuries, _millennia_ even, was anything but a feeling of welcomed joy. Counting all the people that burned their lives out as you continue treading on, was a feat that no human should have ever achieved.

Setting down his teacup on the marble coffee table, a young man with peridot hair ending in blue tips sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes in increasing fatigue. Without looking, he carelessly tossed the letter he had just received on the said table, no longer interested in it. Its contents were enough to send another massive headache throbbing in his skull. "How in the hell..." He groaned, hearing the uncertain scuffling of his handmaiden's feet as she nervously approached him.

"Um...Lord Vandrake..." she began softly. "Are you...um...may I get you anything to ease your pain?"

Giving another distressed groan he waved her off with a clumsy hand gesture. "No, just leave if you will, Liadri...I am not in the mood right now." Vandrake muttered as he settled himself a little further on the couch. Seeing Liadri bow hastily from the corner of his eye, he waited until she'd step out of the room before pushing himself up. He cursed almost instantly at this, seeing his vision black out for a moment and taking a deep breath to stand more firmly on his feet.

Walking toward the window, he gave his letter a deadbeat stare before glaring out of the window bitterly.

He had not expected one of his own diplomats to lay down their lives like that. At that _site_ of all places even. "Why in the fuck." Vandrake spat bitterly as he kneaded his forehead, before scowling at the soft chuckle he heard behind him. "What?" He asked it without looking.

Behind him, stood a smiling older woman with the same type of hair as him, neatly tied in a bun, but her eyes showed anything but warmth. Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned back, eyeing him haughtily. "My dear son...why so bitter at a fact you should have seen coming ages ago?" 

"Really." Vandrake answered dryly as he turned to face her. "So even if my heart beats for centuries, I should certainly _not_ show any feeling towards the loss of my own brethren whatsoever? Yes, let me check in my emo bag if that is possible, _mother_." 

His mother chuckled again, adding a slightly more devious tone to her laugh than before. "Would you drop that sarcasm already, dear. It is unbefitting of a man of your kind."

A green eyebrow arched. "Oh my, mother is calling me a man suddenly." Vandrake taunted steely. "Who else died to make _that_ happen?" Walking forward, the woman stopped right in front of her son, forcing him to arch his neck as he looked up to meet her violet eyes, while she in turn glowered at him gleefully. "No one....yet. I'd like to keep it that way, but unfortunately we have no time for further taunts, my son. The castle...which means sister _dearest_ , has called us."

"Queen Fionne." Vandrake said, blinking slowly before looking to the letter again. Then it finally clicked in his mind and the very realization made his stomach turn. "...This is about the Jade Construct...isn't it."

Purple eyes widened, slowly, before another false smile returned to the Duchess' features. "Possibly. The pinnacle of pathokinesis... _our_ Jade Construct."

"Joy." The Duke replied sarcastically, trying to ignore his mother's enthusiasm over their clan's accursed ability. "Well, don't let my ass distract you, mother dear. Or my non-existent feelings for that matter." Clapping her hands together, his mother gave him a chuckle and guided him towards the door. "I wasn't planning on that, Vandrake honey."

The Duke growled.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

As they waited in the hallway for their carriage, Vandrake picked absentmindedly at a red velvet box before tucking it firmly in his pocket. He hadn't planned on taking it with him, not that soon at least, but he never was one to not to bring a gift for his kin. Of course, he thought dryly, his false sense of privacy was as non-existent as his feelings the moment he felt his mother's death-glare burning holes in his back. "Yes, mother?" He asked as sweetly as his rancor would let him.

"Nothing honey." She answered him in her silky voice. Vandrake swore he was going to vomit. God, how he loathed his clan.

Which meant Vandrake was almost going to jump for joy if he didn't have any self-restraint when a servant came up to them, bowed and smiled politely to say, "Duchess Sariel, Duke Vandrake. Your carriage awaits."

"Thank the draconic gods." Vandrake sighed, promptly ignoring his mother's glower when she side-stepped him and smiled that false smile of hers. "Thank you, Nivel. We'll be ready."

"We _are_ ready." Vandrake corrected her, glaring with the same menace the Duchess had shown him before. Nivel, nearly flattened by the increasing aura of dread between the two, laughed nervously before quickly showing the royal family members the way to their carriage. "We shall look after the palace, Lady Sariel." He bowed as the two stepped inside. "Thank you, Nivel. Should our stay be longer, you of course will be notified." Sariel answered and with a wave, the door was closed and she and the sulky Duke were on their way to the castle.

"Smile, Vandrake. What would Suren say if she saw you like this?" Sariel smirked. "I saw you brought her a gift...how sweet of you." 

"Bite me." The Duke spat, his blue eyes nearly spilling the rancor from his being. "Why in the hell are you coming anyway, weren't you going full bitch-mode on Jade Constructs earlier? What the hell made you change your mind?"

Sariel gave a quick laugh at this, not betraying her intent in the slightest. "Oh, sweetie. Laying down your cards so soon? Well, who knows...perhaps I've seen the light!" She replied gleefully, ruffling his hair.

Smacking her hand away, Vandrake huffed. "You, seeing the light. Right. Oh, this is going to be so much _fun_." He muttered as he rested his chin in his hand, deciding to stare out of the window. Whatever was out there was much better than this stuffy air in here. 

Sariel smirked, though she made no remark at his comment yet. "Regarding the letter you received...of course I've known about Desriel's death for a while now-"

"Why, cause you made him slit his throat on the Jade Construct's ground yourself?" Vandrake interrupted her, his eyes full of accusation. "Or perhaps you made sure it could feast on his flesh?? You think I'd be surprised at _that_ , mother??"

Though she closed her eyes at his accusations, Sariel gave a hurtful sigh, mocking him. "Me? Well, I can do _many_ things, Vandrake dearest..."

When she opened them again, her smile had faded and a ominous look had overtaken her violet eyes completely, sending a icy shiver down Vandrake's spine. "...though that isn't yet one of them." she finished finally, a slow smile forming again.

Vandrake could only wonder if the outside environment, their rider included, weren't dropping dead like flies with this constant murderous stalemate he and his mother were in. He was fully capable and hell, even _equipped_ to deal with his mother's daily taunts. But Vandrake wouldn't be Vandrake if he didn't feel the taunts having gradually become something more foreboding. He knew his mother had given him the love and warmth of a goddamn glacier, but this was something else entirely. 

Turning to peer out of the window again, he cursed internally but also made up his mind. Getting caught of guard like this was one day going to actually kill his stupid ass and it would ruins all of his _own_ plans. Vandrake couldn't let this continue much longer, lest he'd be overpowered by his mother's shackles which were so dangerously tying themselves around his heart.

He licked his lips once. Oh, he'd find out what it was alright, and return it ten times _worse_.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

"Well, _shit_."

"LANGUAGE." Sariel ordered menacingly.

Biting his tongue not to cuss his 'beloved' mother out, Vandrake held still as he glared at the castle. They had just arrived at the castle courtyard, but when did it activate its defences? 

Green glowing, rectangular tags were all over the castle walls, its towers, the very square...hell no matter where Vandrake looked the seals were all over the place. Naturally, it didn't help they were linked to eachother as well, stretching and encircling the entire castle grounds in the form of endless long chains going everywhere and anywhere.

Smacking his forehead, Vandrake mumbled something about 'why in the fuck in this my family' as he made other strange noises, earning a odd look from his mother and some of the guards even. 

"Did you forget subtlety, darling _dearest_?" Sariel whispered as she tugged him by the sleeve, pulling him toward the gates. "Not since you stabbed that pretty blade of yours deep into my back, mother dear." Vandrake answered her sweetly enjoying the scowl he finally earned from her. That's one daily victory completed, he thought satisfied at his handiwork.

 

"Vandrake! Oh, my gosh, _Vandrake_!" 

 

"Wha-" The Duke began before he noticed a young woman storm from the gates, holding the hem of her black velvet dress from the ground as she ran towards them. Her long green hair, spiralling at its tips, flying in every direction at the gust of wind she made when she ran to the pair before coming to a stop right in front of her cousin, panting heavily.

Catching her breath after a while, she straightened herself and smile brightly at him. "Vandrake, aunt Sariel...I'm so happy you came!"

Clearing his throat, Vandrake brushed a lock from his own hair aside, before properly addressing his cousin. "Suren. We wouldn't want to say no to the Queen, would we?"

Unlike most, Suren was not affected by Vandrake's sour view of life. Giving him another smile, more relieved now the Duke noticed, Suren turned to greet Sariel. As if a damn switch flipped, the smile on the princess's face dampened. Any untrained eye would have missed it, but Vandrake was a well-trained master manipulator. He saw the tells of his kin, _especially_ his cousin. 

Sariel however, smiled sweetly at her niece, her mask betraying nothing. "Suren, darling! Give or take a few more years and your beauty will surpass even that of my sister. We've got high hopes for you, as a proud lady of the Dragon Tongue clan!"

Vandrake watched Suren like a hawk now. He took it al in; the narrowing of her pupils, the searching of her eyes for a moment of comfort, the rapid rise and fall of her chest, the way she folds her hands in front of her.

Sariel had made her uncomfortable, made her shrink. And of course, Vandrake saw bitterly, it made his mother smile at how _easily_ she'd achieve it.

"Well, aunt Sariel..." Suren began, closing her eyes as she began to steady herself. "...hoping is never a bad thing." 

Vandrake's eyebrows rose. A cryptic response, that was what that was. He wanted to retort himself, making his mother shut up for a change, when the air shifted and twisted itself in such a deep aura of dread Vandrake's own breath hitched.

Turning sharply, he saw another green head pop out slowly from the gateways walking with allure and a icy grace that just _clenched_ at his heart.

Seeing Suren closing her eyes again meant she felt it too; the shackles of suppression tying them both like prized possessions.

 

"Well, Sariel. Better late than never, no?"

 

Vandrake _swore_ that his mother just put up the shittiest, meanest and most absurd smile he'd only seen her put up for foreign Kings stupid enough to fall for her charm. The Duke clenched his jaw as he felt and resisted the urge to vomit again. Gods, he _really_ hated his clan.

"Fionne, darling!" Sariel chuckled as she extended her arms to pull her sister in a light hug. The Queen was a good head taller than her younger sister, but her young appearance was as false as that bullshit smile his mother was giving her. "Alright Sariel..." Fionne murmured lightly, as if that damn ominous presence of hers never existed in the first place, letting go (pulling away forcefully, Vandrake would argue) of her sister. "Belmont was just fully ready for you...wouldn't want to keep him waiting, would we?"

Suren turned her head at this, Vandrake not missing it. "Mother...father was still-"

"Yes, Suren. I am aware." Fionne cut her short. "This however cannot wait."

Vandrake swallowed. Suren was looking away now, he really couldn't blame her for it, no matter how much he wanted to scold her for it. Where he, quite literally so, had the balls to stand up to his mother and bite her face off even if needed, Suren was an entirely different individual. Of course when faced with Fionne, the beautiful but fucking _terrifying_ Queen of the Jade Kingdom, who could send a grown man to his death by smiling viciously at him, no soul in the Kingdom ever had been able to stand to face her for longer than mere seconds before giving in. No wonder the kingdom didn't need an army, the women of the Royal family ate their opponents alive.

"Was Belmont feeling generous by forcing his seals on the castle grounds?" Sariel asked feigning curiosity. "I thought no one dared attack the kingdom you _supposedly_ ruled to wonderfully...sister." The Duchess then added, smiling icily.

But Fionne wasn't impressed with her sister's ridicule. "That is because I allow  _no one_  to ever become such a thing as an opponent. Meanwhile on _your_ end of the kingdom, another one of your servants fell to the Jade Construct of all things."

Both Suren and Vandrake stopped instantly in their tracks at the air turned glacial. Yeah, that fucking hurt. To normal people. Which none of them were.

Sariel's bullshit smile only widened and so did Fionne's.

 

Vandrake bit back the urge to scream. What the hell was this family anyway.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

"Would you like anything to drink, Vandrake?" Suren asked him quietly. After that miserable confrontation in the courtyard, Vandrake could really use anything stronger than just a sip of tea.  "Yeah, whatever kills me." He replied dryly rubbing his face with his hands. He'd mean it too, even in Suren's company. Suren blinked at his retort before she chuckled softly and poured him a cup of tea still.

He was grateful their mothers had ushered them both off to Suren's room, leaving for their own business. Surviving those two, with the King Belmont being added to the room too? Yeah, hell to the no. Vandrake didn't sign up to be killed today.

"Now now...you know them. It's...always like this." Suren said a little sorrowfully, though she kept a small smile. Vandrake took his teacup wordlessly, staring at his cousin. "Yeah, no. That shit that just happened there was, no _is_  bullshit and you know it. How the fuck is this kingdom still standing? And...what the fuck's up with those seals??"

Growling, he angrily took a large gulp of his tea, thankful it wasn't burning hot (Suren always liked being prepared, he suddenly remembered) before setting the cup down at the table. Suren sat down next to him on the couch holding her own teacup, eyeing her cousin for a while. Pondering on his question, she took a sip of her tea before she decided to answer him. 

"The Jade Construct...the Jade Veins...apparently it's begun growing again."

Hearing a harsh cough next to her, Vandrake choking on his tea of all things, startled her. Rubbing his back a little, she quickly continued before her cousin could retort with his usual obscenities. "Dormant for 2000 years as you know, the Jade Veins seemed to have fallen into a dormant state...and yet something stirred it awake again. It's begun to feast on anyone walking it's grounds, having killed at least 15 people in the last two weeks. Its been growing for a good 4 months now, but it didn't kill anyone in that time."

Suren sighed softly and sat her teacup down. Eyeing Vandrake directly, whom by now glowered at her listening and absorbing every word, Suren continued. 

"The seals were activated by me, as I've never created a Jade Construct before in my life. In order to defend the castle and prevent it from being absorbed, I created this last line of defence."

"How is your sealing magic, or that of any other clan member gonna work against a fucking Jade Construct? Those things love eating anything that has emotions." Vandrake questioned her skeptically.

Suren opened her mouth to speak, but Vandrake cut her short as anger overtook him. "And why just the _castle_ grounds...? Who's fucking idea was _that_??"

Now the princess' eyes widened, leaving the Duke to fume in rancor. Vandrake laughed bitterly as he kneaded his forehead again. "Fucking _shit_. These dumbasses are so fucking _terrified_ of Jade Constructs, yet they do absolutely _nothing_ to stop them from being created, isn't it??"

"Except trying to overthrow one another with powerplay." Suren then commented in such a soft voice, Vandrake had to strain his ears to hear her over his thundering heartbeat.

"...Yeah." He merely replied, bitterly aware that pretty much summed up the problem.

 Still, he spun his heel on a whim, ignoring Suren's surprised gasp as she realized what he wanted to do, and let her follow him in his haste as he marched toward the throneroom.

 

He was going to get the answers he wanted, even if that meant his mother would skewer him with her nails.

 

  

 


	2. Deplorable Mistrust

 

 

Suren found that she had to run in order to keep up the pace with her cousin. Barging into the throneroom was a plan of action Suren could just have tasted in Vandrake's demeanor. Of _course_ he wanted to go and pry out whatever intel he could get on what was going on at that accursed site. Suren however feared getting the answers and comprehending them altogether was going to be a whole different feat by itself.

"Vandrake...Vandrake....wait...!" She panted as she ran after him. Of course where she had to run Vandrake merely paced onward, though he didn't slow. "Like hell." He replied bitterly, more aimed toward the situation rather than his cousin. "If this is about ancient mechanics coming back to life, you bet your ass we're _all_ getting involved in this shit." The Duke then added, now turning the hallway and marching into the long stretching corridors.

Seeing her chance when he had to slow, Suren quickened her steps in the curve and finally managed to pace right by Vandrake's side. She glanced at his face worriedly, though her own expression seemed far beyond the calm tide one would expect a princess to have. This was reckless and they both knew it, but she understood the need to do _something_ as well. "Vandrake...even I do not know the full details. No matter the outcome, we must remember that our people come first. They have no defence against something of this caliber and I wouldn't dare think what it could mean for them on the long term..." 

Vandrake gave a short scoff as the large doors to the throneroom came into view. "Our people...hah." He then came to a standstill, Suren blinking at the sudden stop of her cousin's death march as she turned to face him when she also stopped. "Vandrake?" Suren questioned him softly and she soon saw his expression darken as he seemingly pondered on her words. 

The Duke slowly walked forward, a hand rubbing his chin and he hummed thoughtfully. "You know...the diplomat that was killed...you know it was Destiel, right?" Suren blinked slowly at this, though she soon after turned her head away and gave a aggrieved sigh. "Yes...I was informed this morning...father spoke to some of the generals soon after, though I do not know the details of that meeting...why?" 

Vandrake's eyes narrowed at her reply, but he too looked away from her soon after. "I did receive a short letter this afternoon...it claimed to have come from his colleagues, but I was more disturbed about my mother's reaction to it." Vandrake then looked to Suren directly, staring deep into her multi-coloured eyes. "If I told you...Destiel's death was orchestrated, would you believe me?"

Now Suren stared him dead in the eyes. Where she before, cornered by his mother's taunts, couldn't help but shrink away, now Vandrake saw something calculated mixing in her eyes. She was clearly on edge, probably standing hyperalert thanks to sheer adrenaline alone, but the wild idea seemed not surprise her in the least. Her lips parted, though she paused before talking. "A test." She said flatly.

Vandrake's neck hairs were standing on end now to have his initial thoughts being spoken out loud by someone other than him. "A test." He confirmed, kneading his forehead in frustration again.

Suren closed her eyes briefly, before sighing heavily and leaning her back against the cool wall. "A test to see if the Jade Construct was truly awakened. Normally, a mere living individual would be enough...but this time they send a Dragon Tongue clan member at it directly. Not just to stir up the beast...but to antagonize it more than anything else." She summed her conclusion up slowly, sending a thoughtful glance at Vandrake. It was a theory, but it was one that made sense. Suren had poked around in various sources of knowledge to back her claims up, but even this was beyond normal comprehension. They didn't _want_ this to be true.

"We can't do shit without proof." Vandrake threw out in the open. Well, they couldn't. It probably didn't even matter if they _did_ have proof to begin with; this was a matter of the clan above anything else. Anyone stupid enough to start throwing a tantrum at the way how the Dragon Tongue clan handles things was bound to be strung up on the highest tower. If they were lucky.

"Well, lead on then. Our only hope is to ask directly." Suren said quietly, finding the ground more interesting to look at suddenly. Vandrake gave a deep sigh, ran a hand through his hair before resuming his original plan and started trotting towards the throneroom again. This was a stupid idea, no matter how you looked at it. Even for his doing, he probably should have taken a century or so to plan this out with back-up plans for his back-up plans even, but there was no time. There never was any time for anything to be planned out as he wanted, Vandrake thought angrily. And now, they were just deciding to enter the lion's den without those same back-up plans. He resisted the urge to smack himself.

Glaring at the doors as they became larger the closer they got to them, he felt a sinister aura leaking out as the distance shortened. Suren was walking next to him but her presence seemed to have all but faded. If he didn't knew, saw and felt his cousin walking next to him, Vandrake would have called her a ghost. The King's presence was of a whole different level, inhumane even. Even in the small dosis he felt coming from the throneroom, Vandrake barely found himself retreating at the very thought it was going to be much worse _inside_ the room. So even he could understand Suren _really_ didn't want to be near her father (or her mother especially) under the penalty of death.

Stopping in front of the large doors, Vandrake then glanced up at the Captain of the guard whom peered down at the both of them curiously. Suren, reminding her manners and upbringing, smiled softly at him. "Barhin." She greeted him. Large in stature, but nothing less of an aristocrat as they all were, the middle-aged Captain (4500 years really shouldn't be middle-aged Vandrake would argue) gave her a nod. "Princess Suren...Duke Vandrake. I take it the both of you wish an audience with the King?"

Suren's smile widened slightly. This man, her caretaker and personal attendant, had seen so much of Dragon Tongue bullshit he failed to be impressed with two rabid Dragon Tongue youngsters now. Neither of them were a threat really, except perhaps Vandrake's snake-like tongue that was as venomous to himself as to any other. So, Suren kept her smile in place and nodded. "If we may, Barhin. If...father hasn't ordered for...anything else." The princess tried to sound as calmly as possible. "Like dragging us back by our hair kicking and screaming..." The Duke muttered sourly. Suren cleared her throat to his sarcastic comment rather loudly, in an attempt to scold her cousin, proceeded to eye Barhin with pleading eyes. Vandrake made a mocking gagging noise in the back, which Suren _promptly_ ignored.

Puppy eyes really did not work on this man, as the Captain's own multi-coloured eyes blinked as if he'd been assaulted to death by a pieces of cotton. Especially when the pleading concerned came from the Princess he'd guarded and protected for nearly a 1000 years. 

"Would you please not do that, princess...? Lord Belmont did not order me to stop any of you...he knew you'd come either way." Barhin explained, stretching his hand and resting it flat against the door, but not yet opening it. His voice lowering, and becoming much more quiet, he then asked her, "Are you sure you wish to do this...Suren?" Meaning he'd right up drop everything and come with her, trusting the walls and floors to guard themselves by some miracle.

Suren smiled at his willingness to come along before taking a long, deep breath, pondering his words. It was of no use to turn back anyway, especially not if the King knew they'd come anyway, so she shook her head slowly. "No, of course not...but...If I do not chase the answers, who will?" Suren said quietly, looking to the ground again.

Vandrake then dryly raised up his hand. "Uh...I will? Since this was _my_ plan to begin with?" Suren gave him a sour pout. "Alright, alright...yes. _You_ will, Vandrake. Thank you for taking my moment." 

Vandrake smirked like an idiot, victorious, while Barhin gave a deep, heavy sigh. "Okay, kids...enough. I'll let you through." 

Now pushing at the door, the heavy set of twin doors creaked open loudly and slowly. And what came with it was a immeasurable amount of that same sinister aura, now tenfold in size and power and Vandrake's eyes widened at the sheer pressure of it. Suren swallowed at the suffocating air, closing her eyes briefly as she tried to get a grip on this negative wave. Duchess Sariel and Queen Fionne were two peas in a pod when it came to their own intimidating aura; the effect King Belmont's presence had on his people, let alone his own daughter, was of an entirely different caliber than Vandrake would have waned to admit.

This felt like a goddamn death sentence, anyone stupid enough to approach would be killed by just sheer presence alone.

Taking a deep breath, it was Suren that lead the two of them inside, feeling the need to be the one her father would first lay his eyes upon. Vandrake let her; he'd rather have her shot down first. He really did.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

Anyone that would look upon King Belmont would _never_ in their life believe this man has the aura of a grim reaper. The King, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, did not even smile at the two of them walking in. Standing up from the position from where he leaned against the table, the King stood tall to greet them in his own way. He looked like a nobleman at best, nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. Neatly dressed, his hair combed neatly to the side, King Belmont looked like he'd never seen battle before. He even looked young, younger than even Suren's mother. It was hard to believe this man had lived for 8000 years already. 

But Suren knew her father and she knew that this particular combination of family members made it bloody _impossible_ for any army to even think of approaching. She and Vandrake lingered in the doorway, both of them adjusting themselves to the immense pressure their kin radiated. Suren felt all of it; bloodlust, jealousy, menace, rancor...even lust. All of these feelings swirled and raged around the room filling it to the very brim with its omnipotent power as each clansman stood their ground and attempted to overthrow the other. The only calm presence of all things was ironically her father, whom, despite the calm tide he seemed to emit also had _something_ _else_ inside of him. It was that thing that Suren picked up, which stood under the full and complete control of her father's shackles which did not even dare graze the surface.

Taking a gulp of deep air to strengthen her lungs's, Suren stepped forward finally, swallowing at the blast of pressure flying at her. Sariel smiled eerily at her. "Ah, Suren dearest. And of course Vandrake too."

King Belmont's face remained devoid of emotion. "Suren, Vandrake." Suren nodded at him, as Vandrake merely glanced at his uncle. Before Suren could state their business, her father smoothly voiced it for her. "I'd expected the two of you to come in earlier to address your concerns."

The words being pulled from her mouth and thrown back in her face, forced Suren to re-adjust herself in order to withstand whatever was coming out of this. Anxiety filled her being as her father's eyes were now fully on her, the sense of apprehension and dread becoming more unyielding as it slowly proceeded to overtake her being entirely. And pushing down against it caused the aura around Suren to become distorted and that was something the misery radiating of her kinsmen hungrily latched onto.

Giving a soft sigh, Suren decided it was best to get right down to the point. "Father...Destiel's death...along with the claim that the Jade Construct known to be as the Jade Veins have awakened from its slumber...would you say Destiel was the test-subject to see if it were true?" 

Suren's voice was uncertain and absolutely untrained for dealing with their shitty clansmen, Vandrake concluded. He clenched his jaw as he awaited the King's response, with Suren right on her way to either grow from this or be shot down immediately.

Which became obviously the latter, for it was Fionne whom sighed at Suren's words, causing Suren to tense up. "And where...did that accusation came from? ...Was it you who put those words in her head?" The Queen asked slowly, glancing from Suren to resting her sights on Vandrake.

As Suren gulped at her mother's viper strike, Vandrake bristled on instinct, not letting himself be overthrown. "What was that, aunt? Not thinking the statement over but rather pissing over me instantly, aren't you? I was starting to get worried I'd be left out, really."

"Vandrake-" Suren began, but her cousin held up a hand. If morals had to be cast aside, Vandrake was more than ready for it. He promptly ignored his mother's satisfactory smile, knowing full well Sariel loved to see anyone poking at her sister's house of cards with their own venom.

The Queen's house of cards however were made of metal, stone and surrounded by a moat full of her enemies' blood. It wouldn't fall by any _normal_ means.

Suren glanced at her father, in concern and a glimmer of hope. She always hoped, somehow, he'd stop this pitiful charade of powerplay between their clansmen. And always was Suren disappointed, for the Jade Kingdoms hadn't been standing for millennia if they were a royal family of pure love, kindness and gentle words. They were neither of those and Suren feared she and Vandrake were becoming anomalies in the family.

Belmont's gaze remained calm, but vacant of emotion still. Suren felt a great portion of her courage sink to the depth of her stomach when she didn't hear him protest or reel either of them in. The patriarch made no move to interfere and it made Suren feel desperate. 

Fionne seemed to mimic her husband's devoid expression as she was certainly not impressed with Vandrake's spitting poison. So she rose, gracefully, from her seat and faced him fully. Accompanying her demeanor was another wave of that misery that the Queen had so skillfully mastered as she spoke again. "Leave you out, dear nephew? Now that the title of Duke of Serpents has been passed to you, you can count on it that you will be anything _but_ left out." 

Suren stepped back when she saw Vandrake's eyes turn wild and form a gleeful smile on his face. This was getting out of hand and they hadn't even made their point yet. Were they so hellbent on dying eachother in the colours of their own bitterness or whatever it was that they were trying to achieve here? Clearly so, for Suren looked to each of her kin present in the throneroom with desperation fueling her gaze and found nothing. Nothing except for a silent declaration of war Vandrake had so foolishly fell for, now at the mercy of the Queen and he didn't even know it.

The princess hastily stepped forward and pulled Vandrake back by the hem of his jacket, earning a brief sound of protest from the Duke. "Mother, no. If you must believe that I've been wrongly been informed, why will you not admit it then?" Almost instantly did Suren regret her decision to speak in terms of logic. Ah yes, for logic doesn't work when the hunger of power is trying to overthrow you, she remembered bitterly.

So too did Fionne realize Suren's mistake, taking steps to counter instantly. "But influenceable as you are, who is to say you'd grasp the _truth_ then?"

Vandrake closed his eyes slowly in detestable defeat. He almost _felt_ the jab the Queen had made deep within his stomach. Glancing to his side, Suren's eyes were wide with disbelief and _hurt_. His serpentine eyes saw the hurt so clearly, it washed off Suren's being decimating her fear and seizing its place. Old hurt surfaced, mixing with the new and the cycle repeated endlessly. Yeah, this was not going how he would have planned it.

Suren's sorrow created a deplorable shift in the air as it came rising up and worked its way to form it's own barricades against the dreadful auras of their sadistic family members. And only a handful of words had done the trick. Vandrake almost wanted to know his aunt's secret, if he didn't feel the backlashed sting of it himself. So he decided that becoming unpredictable was his next best bet.

"Okay, how about we all just fuck off then?" The Duke then spat keenly, glaring at each member present in the room. Hang the codes, morals, whatever you want to call them. If Vandrake couldn't get his answers by manipulating them, he'd _tear_ it from them instead. Even if that meant letting his cousin's back be stabbed by the daggers of various family members.

"Lang-" Sariel started, but Vandrake's snarl cut her off. "NO." He spat venomously, pointing an angry finger at her. "Fucking _no_. Shut it." 

Fionne's eyes narrowed. "Well then...One lonely son stands ready to fight for his prize." Vandrake turned to her, his eyes glowering at her as if he were to eat her alive. "Lonely son? LONELY SON?? That's cute, coming from you, _auntie_ dear. And my prize is nothing more than a fucking explanation for the JADE CONSTRUCT, remember the creepy fucking green crystal that's out to fucking kill us, kill our PEOPLE??" 

A vicious smile formed on the Duke's lips as he slowly went completely livid. Suren stepped away from him, giving him space. Still she uttered slowly, softly. "Vandrake... _stop_." 

He chuckled, not an ounce of mirth in his voice. "Stop? Hell no, Suren. I will have what I want, _NOW-_ "

"...The Jade Construct." King Belmont's voice boomed, nullifying whatever aura was in the room, overtaking it, nay, the whole  _castle_ entirely. Both Suren and Vandrake's gazes landed on the King instantly, as the youngsters felt new chains being forged, surround them, and _pull_ them into place. As the King started the deceptive waltz of his serene walk, so too did the beast he so neatly had kept chained inside him stir. The two younger Dragon Tongues sank to the floor as their legs gave out under the King's deep hold, no longer visitors in his presence but _prisoners_.

"Its existence was long believed to be unrelated to us...though it came in many different forms. All constructs were born on places where Dragon Tongue members left a heavy emotional imprint of themselves, starting what the earliest records call a curse."

The King's eyes slid over to all present in the room, regarding each of them individually, as if warning them, before proceeding. Vandrake growled however, while Suren released a pent up breath.

"Soon after, we realized it was _our_ ability. We were the ones that had created them. We harbored the seeds of the constructs deep inside us...and if we faltered they burst out in this reality coming to life..." The King pushed his glasses back up, glaring menacingly at the window, peering outside. "Emotional magic...pathokinesis. The pinnacle of pathokinesis even. Born from negative emotions, growing from seed to crystal body. So long as it doesn't appear in reality, it can be managed to a degree. Ironically, managing it seems to further antagonize it as you restrict your emotional state, thus giving it even more power."

Vandrake scowled. "Oh, fuck off. You telling me we can't do shit about it, and should just leave it be then???" Belmont really wasn't impressed by Vandrake's retort. "Were it so easy...would you then not have believed we could then manage the problem instead of being concerned about it? Why do you think I am informing you a Jade Construct needs to come out into the open clutches of reality before it becomes a danger? Once it does that, young Duke and Princess, it begins to exert its user's ravaging hunger for whatever emotion fueled the existence of their Jade Construct and begins to grow, ensnaring and killing whatever it takes into its crystal clutches. Recent study even revealed...our seals, the one now currently surrounding the very castle grounds have the Jade Construct as their physical form. In the seals, we exert full control and mastery. But the Jade Construct is _beyond_  any type of control and goes rampaging on in pure instinct."

Suren gasped audibly now, Sariel chuckling at her expense. Ignoring her aunt's mockery, Suren was quick to ask her question. "My...my seals...our seals... they're essentially Jade Constructs...? Doesn't that mean I can forge a Jade Construct in due time? Or any of us for that matter??"

Belmont closed his eyes. "That, we do not know." When he opened his eyes again, predatory green eyes glowered down at his daughter without mercy. Suren shrunk away slightly, though she kept her gaze glued to her father's eyes, her desire for knowledge stronger than her fear. 

 

"If you do however...how will that affect us...or you for that matter I wonder?" He then said slowly, making sure each word was spoken clearly as the castle heaved under the King's building pressure.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

"What the _shit_ have I just been listening at???"

 

"Vandrake...please..." Suren tried to soothe her cousin's feelings, but she knew it was easier said than done. They were back in the hallway again, Barhin next to them as he stood protectively next to the two young clansmen. "I take it you weren't given all the answers then...?" Barhin mused sorrowfully, though seemingly not entirely surprised as he _knows_  Belmont. The King had lived for way too long to be giving all cards out so easily, Barhin could tell.

Meanwhile the Duke of Serpents was livid, pacing the hallway muttering obscenities to himself and cussing out his entire family. He was _not_ happy. Now Vandrake probably was never happy, but that was beside the point.

"If all this emotional shit is really creating Jade Constructs, you bet your _ass_ I'll probably wake up to one right next to me soon! Or maybe, MAYBE if we weren't such fucking asses to _eachother_ , those things wouldn't even exist in the FIRST place!"

Suren watched her cousin sympathetically, though she also agreed with him on the latter part. "In the end...Destiel's sacrifice wasn't even addressed in the way we came for. What were we..." Suren faltered as she regretted the outcome of their confrontation bitterly. It wasn't even much of a confrontation, more like a put-your-kids-into-place meeting, she concluded in humiliation. 

"Bah! I bet aunt Fionne _loved_  pissing all over me, well I am not done with her dumb shit just yet." Vandrake bit out angrily. He then chuckled sourly as he hid his face with his hands. "Fucking _shit_...!" And then dropped to one knee as he fell into a hacking spree. Suren kneeled behind him as she rubbed his back. "...Deep breaths, Vandrake...the Scourge got you pretty hard." Giving a few more harsh coughs, she could still see the hateful gleam glisten in Vandrake's eyes. 

Holding a hand to his chest, he greedily drew a few deep breaths. "That shitty _aura_ of theirs...as a kid it flattened me non-stop...yet even as an adult I still can't last more than an hour..." Barhin's brow furrowed in concern. "Not even reeling the Scourge back in against their own heirs...Belmont truly has not changed." Suren shook her head in confirmation as Vandrake laughed dryly. "Well...thankfully myself and Vandrake haven't got such a dreadful ability yet..." Vandrake coughed once more as he clenched his hands into fists. "Add it to the list of things we _do_ need if we're ever going to stand up to this shit. I'd love to flatten my mother's stupid face and watch her squirm as I eradicate her presence from our mansion altogether with just presence alone..." He said gleefully, already seeing it happening in his vision. 

Suren then watched him as he stood again, his anger thankfully speeding up the healing process. With Vandrake, it was always easy to remember the Scourge's effects bit deep into their very being. With her it always...took a while before it manifested. Suren could withstand her mother AND father's terrifying Scourge...only for her body to erode to the aftermath of its effects much later on. Suren clutched the velvet fabrics of her dress anxiously. She really wasn't ready for the next wave to overpower her...

"Right, I'm grabbing a fucking drink. You coming, Suren?" Vandrake questioned flatly as he straightened his jacket, in an attempt to reclaim his dignity. But the princess shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. You go on ahead, I'm sure we could use this intermission to recharge."

Not waiting for another word, the Duke spun his heel and marched on to fetch himself a glass of wine.

Watching him leave, Barhin slowly came to stand next to his princess. "...Are you feeling the effect of the Scourge yet, Suren?" He asked her carefully. She shook her head slowly. "No...but that is why I send Vandrake off; I know I will soon, and I think I've already demonstrated enough of my weaknesses for one day." Suren turned to look to her attendant and smiled wryly, "I'll be heading to my room them, I'm sure our family's going to be busy for a bit longer. This time...its best if we have a plan ready."

Nodding, Barhin steadied his staff. "Shall I accompany you?" Suren chuckled, but shook her head. "Oh, it's fine. Please, guard the throneroom...though they probably won't need it, your prowess are better suited here." The princess says mildly, though Barhin didn't miss the undertone of her intent. 

"Alright...but call me if you need me." He tells her sternly, earning a earnest smile from her. "I will." Suren promises truthfully, and with a bow she leaves him to his duties before heading to her room.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

Her steps become gradually more sluggish and slow as she finally reaches the wing to her room. Her breathing duller, and her vision playing dirty tricks as it brightens one moment only to darken the next so she sees nothing. Reaching out, Suren rests the palm of her hand flatly to the wall next to her as she scuffles her way to find her room purely on topographical knowledge. 

She probably waited too long to leave, but she couldn't let Vandrake (or Barhin for that matter, though she was pretty sure he'd picked up on her in this state before) see her in her deteriorating state. Her body was breaking under the after-effects of the Scourge's constant exposure, leaving Suren to quite literally pick up the pieces of herself. It needed time to heal itself, and Suren knew she needed to act quickly and draw the necessary seals for herself making sure no one could see or pick up on her eroding state.

Feeling the doorhandle, but not quite seeing it, Suren used touch, scent and hearing to navigate herself. Closing the door, she slapped the first seal from her memory (though sloppily, she'd correct herself on this later she decided) on the mahogany door, sealing it shut and leaving only her own hands to undo this seal. Yeah, no one was coming through through there.

Next, Suren felt her consciousness slip away. Though clumsily, she made her way to the large couch in her room, fully aware she couldn't reach her bed now. Breathing harshly, the moment she felt the leather graze her fingertips, she knelt down and the next large seal was drawn and written on the ground. A healing seal, specifically made for the after-effects of the Scourge, and Suren instantly felt it's order dig into her very being, searching and violently forcing the Scourge out of her system.

Satisfied she made it, she climbed onto the couch and rested her head down, sighing heavily as she left herself to her seal working it's way to heal her system. Fading in and out, though feeling herself to becoming slightly calmer than before, Suren closed her eyes tiredly.

Before she drifted away completely, she couldn't help but think that this time her body was affected more than before. Vandrake obviously wanted to play on equal terms and play the same dirty game...but Suren wondered if that would level the playfield at all. The last thing they would need, is to go after the family repeating the cycle of millennia to get what they want. It didn't work all these thousands of years ago, why should they keep on doing it? No one even seemed to consider the damage it was doing, Suren thought sorrowfully.

 

Suren rubbed at her arms a little, feeling the chill in the air on her skin again. Never did she think she'd welcome the cold, but the Scourge could do strange things to a human. As she finally drifted into a deep, hypersomniac sleep, she truly wondered if anything about this miserable powerplay was beneficiary for any of them.

 

 


	3. Fissures of Malediction

 

"Oi, what the hell are these seals?? Son of a- Oi Suren, turn that shit _off_!"

 

Draconic eyes opened slowly as the princess groaned at her cousin's newly declared war against her door. Her sleep had been so deep, it took a while for her to register that the fuming Vandrake behind the door really wasn't a illusion or trick of her mind, so she slowly sat up on her couch as she tuned out Vandrake's next cussing spree.

The seals on the floor were gone, Suren realized as she checked herself and finding her healing seal had done it's handiwork and executed her orders out neatly. She wasn't sure how much time had passed however, but she thanked whatever god was out there none of her other family members had attempted to wake her from her much needed recovery sleep.

Sliding of the couch and standing up straight, Suren stretched herself and was glad to find the Scourge's lingering effects were all but gone. And judging from Vandrake's ranting, he seemed to have recovered as well. Sighing softly, Suren then outstretched her hand, nullifying the seals she'd drawn on the door causing them to disappear, leaving the door free to be opened.

Vandrake took notice of the change immediately and wasted no time in slamming the door open. He didn't enter yet, as he lingered in the doorway a moment longer sizing Suren up and down with his own set of draconic eyes. "The Scourge didn't send you to the grave yet I see..." He mused with a hint of dry amusement and took another sip of his red wine.

Suren chuckled, though slightly apprehensive at the fact her cousin _did_ see through her, as she walked over to him to invite him in. "Ah, so you did know. It can't be helped after all, it's not an ability we have. We can only endure it the best we can with our current skillset..." She stopped right in front of him, eyeing his wine realizing she was pretty parched herself. "And what of you, did you manage to drink the Scourge away?"

Vandrake's shoulders tipped as he shrugged. "Been around for a bit longer than you, after all. I can ward of my mother's stupidity, though uncle's making it fucking impossible to stay around his ass for longer than an hour." He drank down another gulp bitterly. "Tch, imagine what a Jade Construct's grudge will probably do..."

Suren's lips set themselves in a straight line as she reached out and pulled Vandrake inside her room by his wrist, shutting the door with a loud bang. Letting go of him, she guided him over to the couch on which her cousin gracefully sat down upon. Holding his wine glass higher, he gave a quiet sigh. "At any rate, It's safe to assume Destiel really was the test to see if the Jade Veins were truly active again...makes you wonder if _others_ weren't sacrificed to it as well..." 

Suren didn't miss the condescending change of timbre in Vandrake voice as he put emphasis on the intended words, as if waiting for her to either confirm or reject his claim altogether. Truly Suren did not want to think how many other clansmen of lesser stature were send straight up to die at the hunger of a Jade Construct, but the thought did bring forth new questions.

"Perhaps we need a different question..." The princess then offered, Vandrake tilting his head curiously. "Such as wether or not the Jade Veins are the only Jade Construct in the kingdom?"

The eerie gleam she had seen in Vandrake's eyes earlier that day, returned to his eyes igniting in full blazing glory. It made the Duke more viperous than before, refreshing Suren's memory on the fact her cousin still remained that venomous snake ready to annihilate armies with but a kiss of death. "Getting close, Suren dear..." The Duke applauded her, though Suren doubted Vandrake was truly impressed with her statement.

Setting down his wine glass, Vandrake rose, now fully draped in a cloak of dread. "And yet..." He began smoothly, his smile one of predatory glee, "that's not the real question we should be asking, is it?"

Suren didn't move as Vandrake snaked his way behind her, his shoulder purposely touching her back, parting her hair and letting its locks fall over his left arm and hand. She also didn't _dare_ move when the Duke's finger slithered through those same strands, finding her spine, sending a glacial shiver down her back as he began tracing it from up to down. 

"No matter if it were one or a thousand..." He breathed in her right ear, Suren now feeling his chest grace her shoulder, the scent of fruity wine lingering still in his breath, "to _whom_ does each construct belong to?"

His voice had faded to such a audible whisper, Suren feared if they now both moved Vandrake's voice would be lost to them both. She refused to look over her shoulder, fearing whatever maniacal look she'd find in Vandrake's serpentine eyes. Still, she  _tensed_  at his words sensing the sheer terror come down her spine where the glacial chill had now all but faded. And Vandrake felt it too, Suren almost feeling his smile widen.

"Who is responsible for their Jade Construct....who failed to keep themselves in check and let out an _abomination_ of their weakness come out into the world...?"

His breath was hot and filled to the brim with contempt as Suren felt her anxiety and terror mix together in the presence of the Duke of Serpents. Thus her own breath hitched as she felt his left hand snake its way around her waist coming to rest on her hip. "V-Vandrake..." Suren stammered, no longer sure of the man she called her cousin. Saying his name was not going to help or make him stop, for Suren was experiencing a glimmer, a mere tiny fragment of the serpentine beast the Duke of Serpents truly was. How would an enemy of their kingdom feel, if this was but a sliver of Vandrake's horrid skillset?

At the sound of his name, the devilish smile of the Duke widened and his hand instantly shot upward, grazing the side of her left breast before coming to rest on her shoulder and squeezing it _hard_ as he proclaimed his dominance. It earned him a gasp from the princess, which allowed him to continue. "Who created the Jade Veins, Suren..." He whispered tenderly in her ear, the gleam in his eyes obsessive yet doing nothing to undo the silky sounds of his voice.

"T-That...it's not...n-no one knows..." The princess whimpered. Her answer not satisfying him, she felt his other hand grab her right shoulder and she was _yanked_ to turn around and face him with such force, Suren emitted a startled yelp as the Duke glowered down at her holding her firmly in place. Suren stared at him in growing fear as Vandrake's smile had faded into nothing and now stared at her with a deep, sinister expression. 

Suren couldn't dare make a sound as she felt pure hatred oozing from every fibre of Vandrake's being. Unblinking, Vandrake's glowering didn't falter by the least as he kept Suren at the complete end of his mercy, keeping the silence between them intact. 

"...Calhoun." He then whispered out of the blue. 

Suren blinked, startled at the sound of a new name. "Calhoun...?" She asked him softly. He nodded, still holding her. "Calhoun." He confirmed and with a mild push, he let Suren go. Finally getting the time to find her breath again, Suren brought her hands to her chest as she clutched them together as Vandrake turned to stare out of the window.

Though petrified and needing a moment longer to collect herself, she then decided to ask him, "...Who is he?" 

Vandrake didn't answer right away. Suren, blinking worriedly at him, but not yet daring to probe further, decided to wait a little longer. Her heart still hammered loudly in her ears and Suren found she had trouble calming it down. She had just seen a mere sliver of the potential that was the Duke of Serpents. She had felt it before, but today Vandrake _showed_ it to her. Showed the beast, showed the dangerous way of politics and psychological warfare only Dukes and Duchesses of Serpents were capable of using. As Suren took a step away from her cousin, remembering this fact, she also realized why no one ever dared invading the kingdom.

It was because of them; the Duke and Duchess of the Dragon Tongue clan, the royal family. They were of such a whole different level, Suren felt stupid for thinking Vandrake was the exception of his generation. His heart was beating for a good 2000 years now, he had lived a 1000 years longer than she had and with it came the experience of dealing with their family and the constant beatdown he got from his own mother. Even if Vandrake _didn't_ want to be like the rest of them, he _needed_ to be. Otherwise he would have dropped dead if he'd think of standing in the same room as her mother, father and aunt Sariel. He needed to be as equally cruel and calculating and Suren felt she could weep for him. Even with his...quirkiness, Suren couldn't help but feel for her cousin. Rubbing her arms, she could even forgive him for going a little... _further_ than most too.

Then another thought popped in her head, sending such a wave of fear over her Suren felt the strength in her legs disappearing causing her to nearly fall over. 

 

What if _she_ was the only anomaly in the family?

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

"For _years_ have I been searching that name. Centuries even."

 

Suren watched her cousin's back again, his voice calmer now, staled. "But you know not who he is?" She asked him attentively. Vandrake shook his head slowly. "No. I haven't the slightest idea who he is." He slowly looked over his shoulder at her, his expression grim. "It took countless years of prying out of various people, mostly servants, to finally get a name."

Suren blinked in confusion. "Wait...servants? What of our kin? Does no one in the clan-"

Vandrake laughed, cold and mirthless. "The clan does not speak of it." Looking at her again, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Odd, wouldn't you agree?"

That was _beyond_ just odd and Suren would have argued with him if she didn't know any better. Despite that Suren couldn't help but feel that this wasn't just odd, it probably was something the family had agreed upon. _But that meant..._

"Calhoun must be a clan member too then...right?" Suren mused thoughtfully. "But...why keep that a secret? It's not as if we decided to shame eachother on making Jade Constructs, I mean...well...they are part of us and our abilities."

Vandrake shrugged as he crossed his arms over his chest, turning to face her fully. "Obviously he's a Dragon Tongue if he really did create that Jade Construct, but where is he then? No one speaks about him, I didn't know he even existed up until a few months ago and even our servants get all fidgety the moment I ask them about it." 

The silence that fell over them was comforting as it gave Suren time to think. "Vandrake...if the servants know him...then doesn't that mean whatever Calhoun did happened in the past 100 years at least?" Suren asked him slowly.

"Then why don't _I_ know anything about it then?" Vandrake asked her dryly.  

Suren sighed softly, promptly ignoring how Vandrake leaked his own arrogance into the question as if he were the center of the universe. To Dragon Tongue clan members, a 100 years didn't mean anything; they lived for millennia, not even aging. The only clan to survive the decline of magic outliving the mages, witches and wizards of the olden times laughing in their face as they did. Forging this kingdom from the ground up, and creating a bastion where their clan reigned supreme. Over time, ordinary people were drawn in, wanting to have a safe haven as well, and they let them. Not one Dragon Tongue member had anything to fear, it was _them_ that were to be feared. Users of the much mocked pathokinesis (because why would feelings _ever_ be considered a weapon a witch had once laughed, Suren remembered her mother once telling her) now stood as the last users of energy manipulation that once was written off as 'magic'. They lived for _millennia_ thanks to that know-how even. They've exceeded the normal boundaries of humanity, though Suren silently wondered if that was even a good thing.

Even in her 1000 years of living, she'd seen so many 'normal' humans die. Dying because a human's lifespan should be ending at somewhere at a 100 years. She felt pain swelling up deep within her chest as she remembered the faces of people she loved dearly, the people she ended up burying because she outlived them each time.

That is why she understood Vandrake's question so well; if this Calhoun created the Jade Construct now known as the Jade Veins, why indeed _didn't_ they know anything about it? Why had he faded from a history where _all_ clan members knew each clan member ever to have lived on this earth?

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

The princess was left alone inside her of room, as Vandrake had marched off to fetch himself yet another glass of wine. Given it took an ocean's size for Vandrake to get drunk even, Suren wasn't particularly worried about her cousin's health yet. It was the food for though he'd left her with that made Suren wonder what else was out there that they didn't have any knowledge off.

Plucking at the shawl hanging loosely by her arms, Suren bit the inside of her cheek as more disturbing thoughts flooded her mind. In the millennia she had lived, the Jade Constructs were just...simple things no one paid any heed to. Not once had she heard of a Jade Construct that actually _harmed_ anyone or even killed people. The princess worried she may not even have known the full scale of the problem and it made her worry what this could do to her people in the long run.

 

"Princess?" Suren then heard a voice ask her curiously.

 

Recognizing it instantly, Suren turned around and smiled gently at a older looking woman with olive coloured hair and blood-red eyes. Though only half Dragon Tongue, her handmaiden had stood her ground for 800 years, her life still having inherited some of the lifespan Dragon Tongue clan members seemed to been blessed with. "Caloris!" Suren exclaimed fondly. "I hope Vandrake didn't pester you or anything...?"

Caloris smirked, her expression showing she was used to Vandrake's tantrums fully. "Who, our serpent's son? Nah, I've dealt with his mother on more occasions than I'd like to account, I can handle _him_." She grinned showing all teeth in her own sense of viciousness, "But I was curious I suppose. Did you two manage to pry anything out of our beloved King?"

Suren could tell that Caloris neither meant to insult or even praise her father. King Belmont, even though he took _excellent_  care of his people, was no sunshine son to be around. Never smiling, always stern, cold and calculated. Even his High Steward seemed to have inherited the King's quirks over the centuries of serving him, meaning even he was no joy to be around anymore. 

Thus Suren sighed heavily, letting out but a iota of the pent-up frustration in that same sigh as she feared the entire castle couldn't handle the majority of it even, and shook her head ruefully. "If anything...Vandrake and I were lucky that the Scourge didn't send us to the grave in that moment. Father, mother and even aunt Sariel together...We barely managed to get our point across. If we even got that far..." Suren groaned as she painfully remembered their loss.

Caloris eyed her in sympathy and reached out to rub Suren's green head. "I'm sorry, honey...I know that the King...has...well..." Caloris needed a moment to find a word that wouldn't outright insult or decapitate the King as she so dearly would have wanted, "...well he's a troublesome one, that man. Wonderful King, terrible socialist." She then said with a snicker. Suren chuckled as well. "Well, I shall not argue there. But..."

Suren looked to the doorway, hoping Vandrake wasn't suddenly standing there like a bloody phantom. "...Caloris...do you know anything about a certain...Calhoun?"

Red eyes blinked. Slowly. "Calhoun, huh."

Suren heard the change in her voice. From sassy, cheerful and a tinge of deviousness, to knowing and foreboding. The princess didn't think she'd find results so quickly, but the castle grounds weren't _that_ big. If searching right, you could find at least one person that knew of something.

Caloris sighed, heavily, and withdrew her hand from ruffling Suren's locks carefully. "Well honey...that is a clansman of a very, very long time ago. Even we, meaning the old chunks of my generation, do not know much. Quite literally all I know is that he's a man that lived 5000 years ago. He's from the generation that lived back then."

The princess blinked, her expression showing a tinge of desperation. She was just hanging onto Caloris' lips; this couldn't be all, right?

"That...that's it?" Suren asked dumbfounded, stepping closer to her. "You really don't know more, Caloris? Please, it's....I...well actually more Vandrake...but me as well...I think this is important...!" She pleaded.

Caloris shook her head, feeling the princess' desperation, rueful she didn't have more details to give to her princess. "I am sorry, Suren dearest...That's really all I know." Caloris expressed sadly. "But Suren, why is that name so important you to and Vandrake? Did he suddenly popped up in the King's chambers?"

Deciding it was probably best not to mention Vandrake's gropey episode in his moment of delirium, Suren cleared her throat before explaining. "It's a name Vandrake told me just now. Apparently, Vandrake came by it through his investigation I believe...while I'm not sure of the details of just how he came by it. All he told me, was that servants told him something must have happened to him in the past 100 years or so, as they haven't heard from him ever since."

Caloris frowned, which was never a good thing Suren knew from experience. "Now that's just...Okay, perhaps for a ordinary human I suppose a 100 years would be accurate...but even if I'm just a half-breed, even to me that's just _ridiculous_. I don't think our Duke has his numbers right, princess dear." The handmaiden mused out loud.

 

"Well, do _tell_ what is accurate then?"

 

Caloris, smirking lightly, turned to greet the grumpy Duke slowly gliding into the room, a glass of freshly filled red wine in his right hand. "Ah, Duke Vandrake." She bowed, though mostly out of protocol rather than respect, "I see you've been a busy bee along with the princess."

Vandrake snorted, though he didn't seem insulted. "Well, someone has to. We're not _all_ that gullible, Caloris." The Duke bit back before taking a long sip of wine. Caloris smiled also, all teeth, and more than ready to strike back. "Wouldn't be a good smudge on our oh-so perfect reputation, would it now? You know, that reputation in which we apparently launch crystal constructs to _terrorize_ the minds of the innocent before it destroys their bodies?"

Suren groaned deeply as she rubbed her temples in agitation; she was _not_ putting up with two angry clansmen who were more than happy to throw titles (and protocol for that matter) out of the window just so they could measure who was best at threatening to cut eachother's throats with mere words.

"Okay you two...can we just.... _not_??" Suren whined, not even caring that she whined because no. Just _no_.

Caloris grinned at her and ruffled the princess' green head. "Ah, sorry princess. I couldn't _resist_." She grinned viciously, glaring at the Duke whom himself formed a slow, murderous smile.

"We're all nuts, remember?" Vandrake reminded Suren, raising his glass in emphasis, as if that was _the_ explanation for all the bullshit they've been putting up with for millennia. 

The growl that Suren made sounded anything but threatening, but she gave up on trying to reform her strange kinsmen. That a handmaiden could go head-to-toe with a Duke of Vandrake's stature was one thing; ready to toss him out of the window, jump after him so she can slit his throat on the way down _and_ landing on top of him was a whole thing altogether. Suren _really_ was not putting up with that.

 

Still the change in atmosphere was something very much welcomed, the princess had to hungrily agree upon. Especially now that the soundless call of their supposed fellow clansmen seemed to radiate coming from the wretched structure haunting the kingdom's borders. 

 

 

 


	4. Phantom Renegade

 

When the giant twin doors of the throneroom swung open, Barhin immediately took a military stance of attendance drilled into him long ago to greet his King and his entourage. Receiving a nod from King Belmont, the King strode onward as his Queen and Duchess followed wordlessly. Barhin never asked how the meeting went; not because the possibility of him actually being answered was more than zero percent, but more because he  _didn't_ want to know. Barhin was not a fool, he knew the King's feathers had been ruffled the wrong way now that the Jade Veins's activation was more fact than myth. It couldn't be ignored no longer.

The last thing the Captain wanted to know, was exactly _how_ that happened. Barhin wasn't sure he was ready for that amount of dread yet. 

His ears did perk up at the sound of a pair of familiar, quick footsteps, coming to an halt briefly as the person they belonged to hastily bowed his jet black head to greet his King, before coming up and landing his blood-red eyes on Barhin's form. The younger male then grinned as the royal group whizzed past him and so he freely trotted over to his Captain.

"Yo, Cap. What was that all about, with Lord Sunshine and his two horsemen of Death?" The young knight grinned, pointing a thumb behind him at the royals. Barhin resisted the urge to groan, but he also couldn't blame his knight's brashiness. "Language, Maehara...and honestly I do not know. Actually, let's make it that I don't _want_ to know, shall we?" Barhin muttered dryly. Maehara laughed, heartily, and ran a hand through his long, wild hair. At least he wore it in a low ponytail now, Barhin mused in amusement as he looked the black-armored knight over. In the days that he didn't, the strong winds of the Jade Kingdom really messed up Maehara's hair as if he'd been standing in a hurricane. The other knights promptly made fun of him, but Maehara was cut out of the thickest, strongest fucking wood this planet ever created. He really didn't give a shit and made sure you knew that.

So Barhin shook his head and flashed him a grin, dropping the subject. "So, what can I do for you? Did your battalion finish up their rounds already?" Maehara waved a lazy hand. "Nah, you know how that shit goes. Just for show and tell really. Even if anyone wanted to fuck us, the King's sour-puss face would be enough to send them home yammering." 

Barhin had to clench his jaw not to laugh at this. Protocol aside, the King was a menace enough to really do that. Everyone in the kingdom knew it, even the royal knights. They didn't need an army or a battalion of knights, Maehara down-to-earth enough to know. "Alright kid, I get it." Barhin sighed, hoping the day would come this kid would learn manners magically. Wasn't gong to happen (or Barhin would promptly eat up his staff, he swore) but a man could dream.

"So where's the only sensible side of the family?" Maehara asked, looking around. "Suren came by yet?" 

Barhin's brow furrowed at this, Maehara picking it up instantly causing him to drop his cheery demeanor as the battle-worn knight inside him came out fully. "What the fuck did they say to her now?" He growled, not even bothering to cloak the coming anger. "Let me guess, 'do this, obey that, fuck yourself over like this'....am I getting close or what??" The ruby-eyed knight mocked, Barhin very much ignoring the vicious hand-movements the knight made to get his point across. More because it made him angry at the royals himself.

"Sadly, no matter how badly I strain my ears these doors won't let me eavesdrop." Barhin commented dryly again, Maehara sputtering flustered. "But...I do think she and Vandrake were affected by the Scourge afterward..." He then added slowly, taking a risk in letting Maehara know as the younger male really was either going to explode or straight up decide to murder the royal family.

He did neither yet as he stood his ground, eyeing Barhin skeptically. "Well Vandrake's a big boy fully capable of taking care of that skinny arse of his. But...Suren's not...well you know." The knight muttered a little sorrowfully. "Want me to go and check?" He offered, though truthfully hinting he _wanted_ to go as well.

Barhin smiled and nodded. "Sure, go see if she's okay. And Maehara...?"

The knight looked to his Captain curiously. Barhin's smile turned into a knowing smirk then. "...No flirting."

Anyone else would have faltered as Barhin's masks were made out of diamond, though he'd always let one in on his murderous aura if needed. Maehara wasn't impressed at all, however. "I ain't promising anything." He shrugged, smiling still. With that he spun his heel, and rushed off to find the princess he happily served. Barhin watched him go with a fond smile. 

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

The wing to Suren's room was armed with seals a normal human like himself couldn't see. Now that he was a Jade Knight however, the various levels of spellcasting armed and drilled into his very being, Maehara learned how to  _feel_ them. There was not a single Jade Knight not grateful for Suren's type of sealings; it didn't have any negative feel to it. It never burned your skin to your very bones, it never filled them with dread or fear. It just hummed pleasantly, making it's presence known as it's only warning, but remaining merciful and just to anyone provoking them. A mirror to the princess at her very core.

The core, Maehara knew very well, that didn't sit well with her kinsmen. 

How many times had she not come to the Jade Knight quarters, crying, and sitting with the knights instead favoring their company over that of her own family? Maehara lost count. Jade Knights were, by law, never members of the royal family. Not a single Dragon Tongue member was allowed to join their ranks. Not even aristocrats or socialists were allowed in. No, Maehara had to admit this law was probably his favorite; commoners and the poorest were all welcome. In fact, Maehara himself came from a tiny family consisting out of him and his mother, as poor as poor could be, he remembered bitterly.

Joining the Jade Knights was the best thing he did in his life, providing nicely for himself and his mother. No wonder Suren felt safe with them as well; no members of her family were there to meddle with her life and all of the knights knew hardship. It provided an welcoming kinship.

All the more reason Maehara was concerned that whatever Suren felt important enough to discuss with all of the important relatives, that she'd _willingly_ throw herself to their clutches knowing the dreadful results that would come from it. Maehara certainly was _not_ happy with that. On top of that even Vandrake had slithered his way in in this whole mess too. What the fuck had happened even _he_ decided to lend his strength to her?

No, that didn't happen, Maehara thought bitterly. No way Vandrake was going to do anything that didn't benefit _himself_ above all else.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

"...Maehara?"

The Jade Knight leaned in the doorway, having let himself in because protocol be damned, watching his princess who had stood up from the couch watching him curiously. Caloris, though slightly apprehensive at first, finally formed a slow smile before patting Suren's shoulder and ushering her towards the new visitor. "Maehara, you're most definitely a sight for sore eyes." Caloris joked, letting go of Suren's shoulder.

Reminding himself of his manners, and digging deep to recall any stray protocol, Maehara sighed as he gave a lazy shrug. "Yeah, well. You know me and my _impeccable_ timing." He says, not bothering to mind his tone or body-language. Nobody in this room was stupid after all, just a bit crazy. Probably.

"Of course his Knightliness had to come and see if his princess needed saving, isn't that so Maehara?" Vandrake asked silkily, smirking widely as Maehara bristled. "Oh bite me, Vandrake." Maehara spit back, not tolerating Vandrake's slithery ways one bit. "Why won't you go and slither into somebody else's panties for a moment, will ya? I have some saving to do." 

It was actually possible for Vandrake's smirk to widen even further, Maehara noticed in dismay. Having fallen right for the Duke's taunt, but not without giving him some recoil in return, the Duke rose from his seat gracefully, seemingly pleased with himself. "Wouldn't want to interfere." Vandrake bit back, putting up a deceptively charming smile. "No, we wouldn't." Caloris then chimed in, really not in the mood for Knight and Duke to be the next set of individuals to go for eachother's throat. The princess had seen enough of that for one day, she decided.

Suren blinked as Caloris now rose from her seat, moved past her and slipped and arm into Vandrake's (earning a much delightful amount of sputtering from the Duke) and pulled the two of them towards the doorway. "You kids behave, okay?" She said in her sing-song voice, Vandrake groaning in much feared anticipation as he knew _exactly_ what that implied.

Caloris merely laughed at his misery and forced them both out with a nice slam of the door, fully confident at leaving the princess in the knight's care for now.

Suren chuckled nervously as the two left, as Maehara groans loudy and _dramatically_ before walking up to the princess. "I hate them both." He muttered, earning a smile from Suren. "You love them both, too." She then adds, chuckling at his newly formed frown. "Caloris perhaps, no fucking way when it comes to Vandrake. I wouldn't date his ass if we were the last two people on this mudball of a planet." The knight tells her with a very much intended hint of despair, shuddering at the thought of his scenario becoming a possible reality.

Suren laughed then, heartily, shaking her head. Maehara flashed her a grin also, pleased he was able to make her smile at least. "Alright, alright..." He tried to soothe her. "How about you tell me what the heck just happened that I couldn't even pull out of Barhin?" He then asked, sitting down on her spot on the couch and stealing her tea. Smiling at his concern, Suren sat down next to him, keeping a fair amount of space between them.

"...It's...nearly the same as it usually is." Suren began slowly, her eyes staring at the ground tiredly. Feeling his eyes on her, she glanced at him, seeing him return her gaze bitterly. "You met with King Belmont...and Queen Fionne?" He asked her, slowly. Suren nodded, feeling more uneasy now that she was reminded of the reality of her life.

"There was...a question. Something Vandrake and I noticed." The princess sighed softly, moving a lock of her spiraled hair out of the way. Expecting Maehara to huff at the mentioning of Vandrake's name, Suren was fairly surprised he remained quiet. Taking it as a hint to continue her story, Suren did so.   

"Have you been told about the situation concerning the Jade Veins?" Suren inquired carefully. Maehara nodded at her question, earning a curious blink from the princess. "We've known about it for a while even, you know the King can be a paranoid bastard right?" He  quickly explained to ease her questioning look. Suren's draconic eyes studied her knight for a moment, before her expression faltered back into its weary expression from before. "I...see. So father did decide to inform someone of the situation..." She mused absentmindedly. 

Though grateful at least the Jade Knights were fully informed on whatever was happening in and around the kingdom, Suren couldn't shake off the feeling of being left alone in the dark. She and Vandrake did not even get answers when asking their monarch directly, yet frontline fighters that were being treated as if made of porcelain were fully told about any situation. Suren couldn't tell if she felt jealous or downright abandoned. If anything, she felt the unease spread through her knowing that the Jade Knights were armed with much information, to the point of perhaps even possibly being reduced to pawns. _Sacrificial_ pawns perhaps, Suren shuddered as the thought waved through her head.

"Oi...you still with me?" Maehara poked her, earning a startled gasp from the princess. "Ow- Maehara!" Suren whined, punching his arm softly, earning a hearty laugh from the knight. "Hey, you're the one spacing out!" Maehara teased, earning great pleasure from the shade of red coming to the princess' cheeks. "W-well...that is true. I apologize. I was just..." Suren looked to the ground again as she tried to form the words to explain her thoughts of misery to him. "...I guess I'm not sure what to make of father's actions. Vandrake and I weren't even properly informed of the activity of the Jade Veins...nor was anything confirmed concerning the unfortunate demise of one of Vandrake's servants." 

Maehara nodded slowly, though he couldn't withhold his spite this time either. "Yeah, well you know how he is; King Glorious likes to inform _everyone_ of any upcoming doom, _except_ his own daughter." The Knight said dryly, shaking his head as he ran a rough hand through his jet-black hair. Suren gave a soft chuckle, not able to disagree.

"But Suren...what did you hope to pry out of the King then?" Maehara then asked, the subject having piqued his interest. It wasn't as if King Belmont purposely left Suren, and apparently Vandrake, out for the sheer heck of it. Militairily, if anything were to happen to King Belmont or Queen Fionne, Suren had to take up the mantle. As a future Queen to the kingdom, Suren really couldn't have her head full of anything that didn't involve her directly. The same went for Vandrake, Maehara had to begrudgingly admit. Without Duchess Sariel, Vandrake _ruled_ over the entire south kingdom. Everyone there would answer to his snake-like ass, and regardless of Maehara finding him to be a slippery bastard or not, Vandrake's presence alone is what kept the southern kingdom free of invaders. Enemy kingdoms were _terrified_ of Vandrake, and with good reason too. But even the mighty Duke Vandrake couldn't have his head full with unnecessary things, Maehara couldn't help but admit. 

And yet, something had stirred that had seized all of the princess' attention, with Vandrake trotting along behind her. Maehara was definitely not stupid; the matter of a Jade Construct flaring back to life was something all Jade Knights were ordered to report and keep track of. Every knight was armed to the teeth with sealing spells to specifically counter Jade Constructs, though if only to buy _time_. That's all they could do against it, nothing was more unpredictable than a Jade Construct and Maehara feared Suren might be getting too involved into something she didn't have control over. Jade Constructs were nothing to make fun off or mess with, and while he could seal whatever the fuck stood in his way, Maehara really rather give Jade Constructs the finger before combatting one.

He must have thought this over too much, as he then found Suren watch the strained expression on his face worriedly, causing Maehara to quickly hold up his hands, quickly flashing her a smile. "Ah...sorry. I'm just concerned, Suren. I just...I guess I just want to know why this suddenly is so important to you?" Maehara then asked her, genuinely curious. Suren's smiled softly, though it was more out of politeness than it was honest. "Honestly Maehara...I'm not sure why either. Am I being pulled in by Vandrake's ambitions...or do I want a share of feeling the tail of his blazing bravado..." The princess mused wistfully, letting her words fade. 

Maehara could feel it, he had just scratched the surface of something important. The last thing he wanted her to do, was to plunge right along whatever abyss Vandrake had decided to throw himself into. Unlike Vandrake, who has way too many trump cards to play, Suren has no such defence up her sleeves. No fangs, no claws, just scales...and even her scales were _soft_. Unable to withstand the nearly constant emotional manipulation her family is so adapt to and Maehara saw the after-effects of it bubbling to the surface again. He _needed_ to put a stop to it. So, he scootched closer, ruining the space between them and earning a curious look from the princess as the knight decided to drop his polite dancing and skipping the subject. She didn't move or protest, as Suren was fairly used to Maehara's direct approach on things. Despite that, she still remained a little wary, though unable to hide her curiosity either. 

"Suren. I'm gonna say this once...and I want you to remember what I'm gonna say, ya hear me?" The knight then informed her, letting some of his eastern accent rattle his words. "Whatever Vandrake wants to do, let him do it. He's a big boy, he can take care of himself, even if he is an ass. Before you follow him, if you want to do so of course, you need to build on your defences _first_. You can't run after Vandrake without expecting the winds of the family _not_ to tear you apart, its what they _do_. Right now, Vandrake might even get to the point he can stand on a Jade Construct's surface, but Suren if you follow him and do the same because you _hope_ some of his power rubs off on you...it may come back to bite you later. ...Do you understand me?"

A knight lecturing his princess...the boys were gonna _love_ this one, Maehara thought sourly. If of course Barhin didn't decapitate him first. Still, Maehara felt he needed to step in here as Suren's family most definitely _wouldn't_  consider doing so. But he also hoped, nay prayed, he hadn't hurt her feelings either. So, his blood-red eyes searched draconic ones, searched for anything, any indication he had did so.

The princess looked at him silently, her gaze not having turned away from him. He felt she was looking right _through_ him however, measuring his words and letting them be processed. Thoughts moved, feelings came and both either reduced or increased before her body responded. A blink, the folding of her hands, fingers sliding over the velvet fabrics of her dress, a sigh here and there to release tension. Eyes closing, hair being moved from her face and tucked behind her ear, only to fall back into its original place. Another sigh, the inhale of a breath, the exhale of a deep sigh again. Letting her hands rest on her knees, the princess finally looks up again, forming a watery smile.

"You have an eerie skill to read people...Maehara." She spoke quietly, her words meant only for him and no one else.  

By no means was it coming out as a insult, Maehara knew this. Suren was stating a quality many people _never_ expected him to have; after all, how could a cheerful, down-to-earth man from humble upbringings be so _perceptive_ even the kingdom's ministers were very careful with their words against him. There was no almighty power involved, Maehara simply didn't give a fuck. How many times had Barhin not told him (even written it down on a scroll for him to take with him, Maehara suddenly remembered in amusement) to follow protocol and actually not piss all over said protocol? Maehara lost count, actually he never counted that stuff at all. He just didn't give a fuck. 

Yet it is his princess, this radiant, kind and _soft_ princess that appreciates this quality of him. Maehara could commit mass genocide, high treason and even declare war or anyone or anything; she was _still_ going to forgive him, because she was so fond of him. Suren doesn't need to say it to him even, Maehara knows. Maehara _feels_ it. 

"You know me, Suren." He says to her, smiling warmly. "I ain't gonna let them shit on you if I can help it."

The princess smiles then, warm as well, and Maehara is very much willing to yell from the rooftops how much he _loves_ seeing her smile. When Suren is happy, it rubs off on anyone passing her. Whether its part of her empathic radiance, or simply just a princess loved by her people, Maehara doesn't care. _This_ is what he signed up for. 

Suren shakes her head, and chuckles lightly as she pulls her stray locks back. "I must admit...it feels good to be reeled in a little..." Still, her smile tones down a bit as she remembers why she's after this case. "But I feel this must not be ignored...even if I pull my own agenda away from all this, all of this might become a problem if it is not addressed."

Of course Suren is right, Maehara knows this all too well. It's not as if he can just tell her to stop thinking about whatever occupies her mind, he isn't that stupid or idealistic even. Maehara understands Suren's feelings as well; he knows she's worries for _Vandrake_ of all things. As much as he hates to admit anything Vandrake related, if Vandrake runs too far after his obsession it might have consequences for Suren in the near future as well. At least, if she insists on staying by her cousin's side, the knight muses wryly.

"I know I can't stop you, that's up to you." Maehara tells her upfront, keeping his tone light and even. "I just...you know. I don't want you to take the brunt for it."

Multi-coloured eyes soften, and she smiles at him fondly as her hand reaches out and pulls a stray, jet-black strand of his hair away form his face.  

"In the very least...if I must be chained..." She answers him, a bright yet sly smile pulling at her lips, "...I can at least make it difficult for them to _keep_ me chained."

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

"Oh, I bet your ass they're having sex." Vandrake mutters dryly, twirling his wine in his glass.

Caloris rolls her eyes, resisting the urge to throw the Duke out of the window and settles for stealing his wine out of his hand to drink down a sip herself. "They'd have beautiful babies, I'm calling it now."  

Vandrake hisses, whether it's at the attendant stealing his wine, or at the mentioning of his cousin possibly being impregnated by a Jade Knight, Caloris does neither know nor care. Still, Vandrake leans back in his chair, groaning. "Change the subject, _now_." He orders, earning a amused chuckle from the vindictive attendant. 

 "Alright...alright." She chuckles, raising his glass in the air for dramatics. "Why don't we talk about...Calhoun then?"

The mentioning of the very name raises the Duke's gaze, twisting his expression from annoyed to dead serious in a heartbeat. Caloris returns his contemplative expression with her own, setting the wine glass down on the table between them. 

"Of course you'd want to talk about _that_." The Duke spits bitterly. Promptly ignoring his icy tone, Caloris leans back in her chair as well, taking a more relaxed poise. "Why don't you tell me why Calhoun is suddenly so interesting to you?" She asks him calmly, resting her chin on her hand.

"Let me counter your question with one of my own, why _is_ Calhoun important?" The Duke answers her cooly, not falling for the handmaiden's taunt. "No matter where I look, anyone else could have been mentioned. Any other prominent Dragon Tongue member is up for grabs, yet _he_ is the one that keeps being pushed forward. That is _not_ a coincidence." 

You had to hand it to Vandrake, he is _good_ , Caloris admits to herself. Though originally telling Suren a servant told him of this name, it seems Vandrake naturally done his research before settling on its importance. He clearly knew more, but needed the information confirmed first before spewing it out in the open.

He was better than good, this could easily become downright _eerie_.

"You're chasing a phantom." Caloris answers him lazily, hoping to pry more of what he knows out of him.

Vandrake laughs, bitterly so. "I am aware..." He tells her, his tone carrying a deceptive mirth to it, enough to disarm the strongest of warlords. "...And yet our 'phantom' makes its presence known to us by dropping his name over and _over_ again."  

He smiles charmingly now, and if she were 500 years younger she'd most _definitely_  fall for it, Caloris thinks amusingly. A true predator's smile, like hell you should fall for it.

Ruby eyes stare directly into Vandrake's draconic icy eyes, as if challenging him. Caloris knows this stalemate can go on for centuries if Vandrake wants it, and even she doesn't have that. So, the attendant tries a different approach. "How much did you let Suren in on?" Caloris then asks him.

She catches the Duke off guard with this one. He blinks, as if insulted she didn't take to his taunts, before chuckling in amusement. Or bitterness, Caloris never can really tell when it comes to Vandrake.

"I've told her _exactly_ what she told you." He answers her then, pleased when Caloris frowns as the Duke's viper sting landed successfully. "Which is merely the name and the origin of how you got it..." Caloris sums up for them both. The Duke nods, reaching out to reclaim his wine in the following moment of respite. 

"Did you ask Duchess Sariel anything related to this...?" Caloris then decides to ask him, using a more careful tone when it comes to mentioning his mother. 

Stopping the wine glass from reaching his lips in that moment, Vandrake glares at Caloris as if she's just stabbed him with a blade. " Oh, but of course...because I most _certainly_ want my mother to interfere in even more of my agenda. How _stupid_ do you think I am, woman??" Vandrake spat at her angrily, insulted at the mere thought of being considered such.

Caloris narrowed her eyes and sighed. "If only it were so simple..." She muses, watching the Duke's expression shift from rage to annoyed, and finally confusion. "I also think you did the right thing in _not_ informing her..."  She then adds, wanting to soothe his confusion somewhat. "You know how she is, after all."

Vandrake scoffed. "Damn straight I do. Which is why you'll keep your mouth shut." 

Caloris smirked at him in return. "Only if you promise to keep Suren out of this. She looks up to you, whether you like it or not, and you _are_ a pillar of support to her. Which means she's going to follow you around, hoping some of your admired qualities are going to rub off on her..."

She then lowers her voice, her smile fading altogether as her tone becomes more grim. "The more she runs after you...the more she hopes it will give her strength and courage to stand up to her family's shackles." Caloris looks him straight in the eyes, her tone becoming more stern. "Even if that means she must turn to weaponry like anger, bitterness and frustration, which you so skillfully mastered. Do not twist her into such, Vandrake...even if it's not your intention. Protect her from her own desperation...in the very least."

Vandrake stares at her wordlessly, baffled even. Icy blue eyes blink, slowly, letting her words sink in. Caloris watches his every move, as there really is no royal family member as unpredictable as the Duke of Serpents, secretly hoping he isn't going to launch himself for her throat.

But then, the stunned expression on his face slowly and carefully turns into one of amusement, and his head falls over in his hand, his hair blocking his eyes completely. Just when she thinks she has actually defeated the Duke, Caloris hears a soft chuckle, and then another although slightly louder. Then another, longer this time, before the attendant feels her blood freeze when a manic chuckle, low and downright _eerie_ , escapes the Duke's lips before he lets out a loud and outright psychotic laughter as the Duke of Serpents' pure venom leaks and twists the very air surrounding them, with Vandrake clutching at his hair, almost pulling it out as his manic episode blooms fully and demonstrates a taste of the Duke's deep-rooted rancor.

Caloris, fully on edge, watches him with a concerned and fearful expression, never having seen the Duke behave like this before and calls out to him in an attempt to reach out to his sanity. "Calm yourself, Vandrake, you are making a scene...!" She warns him, hoping none of the other Dragon Tongue members are present. There is no telling what would happen if they saw Vandrake like _this_ , and Caloris _definitely_ didn't even know what this was even supposed to _be_.

But her words still seemed to have some effect, as the Duke slowly regained his control and Caloris felt the air loosen it's suffocating touch. She watched Vandrake slowly look up to her with high vigil, and saw him smile at her. _Eerily_ so, even.

Caloris frowned in unease. "Feeling...better I suppose?" She inquired.

"Truly..." Vandrake spoke, low and menacing and ignoring her remark altogether, "...none of you understand the truth even when it comes to bring its own decapitated head...do you?"

Caloris swallowed and frowned at him. "Explain." She then demanded, and as Maehara would say, protocol be damned. 

Vandrake smiled viciously, and took a long sip from his wine, taking his sweet time knowing  _he_ now controlled the situation. After taking his sip, Vandrake stared at his wine mournfully before setting it down on the table, Caloris _really_ not wanting to even grab it from him now. The Duke leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and folding his fingers together.

" _Not_ involve Suren, you say? Keep her out of _knowing_ , you say...? Afraid certain qualities will be picked up by her...you...say...?"  Every word he spoke was laced with poison, Caloris noticed, and the tone of his voice was even more menacing than it was before. _This_ was the Duke of Serpents, not Vandrake Dragon Tongue. The Snake was speaking now, and Caloris felt its presence ringing in her very _bones_.

Vandrake then shifted and rested his chin in his hand, mimicking her poise from before. "It's because you people  _insist_ on leaving her out of things, she becomes more and more like broken porcelain. I honestly, truly and from the bottom of my heart..." he coos, and places a hand on his chest for dramatics, making Caloris frown even more, "...do _not_ care if Suren lives or dies. I don't care if she's happy...I don't care if she's miserable...I don't even care if that Jade Knight is fucking her brains out and plants a half-breed offspring inside her womb...!"

Caloris bristled as her blood began to outright _boil_ within her veins, but Vandrake's icy gaze kept her from opening her mouth to counter. He smiled, and it was a smile of nothing but manic glee, before he reeled in the beast again and settled for a calmer expression, though still keeping a smile that makes her neck hairs stand up on end. 

"But what I _do_ care about...my dear Caloris...is you chaining her up even _further_."

 Lips parted, but Caloris found herself unable to speak. She caught Vandrake smile at her again, wider this time, and she recognized was that was.

 

A smile of flawless victory.

 

Oh, he was _good_. Above all he was goddamn psycho, but a very strategic one at that. Caloris sighed heavily and reached down, swiping Vandrake's wine glass from the table again and gulped down its contents in one go. Earning a moan of protest from the said Duke, Caloris waved him off. "You shut up, you've won, and now I get to drink the wine." Caloris shrugged, taking delight in making the Duke growl.

"You're a sore loser, you know that?" Vandrake pointed out bitterly, rubbing his temples. "Don't know, don't care." Caloris retorted. "What I do know is that you're a fucking psycho. Thanks for that, now I'm gonna need another hour with a shrink." The attendant moped, nearly falling over as the alchohol finally started working its magic in her system.

"Sit _down_." The Duke hissed, not ready for having an angry handmaiden fall on top of him, or needed to drag her back to her room. "Now what do I get from this victory?" He asked, smiling slyly again.

Caloris waved him off again, this time with a more desperate hand gesture. "Well, I'm certainly too drunk to suck you off, go figure." She replied to him dryly, really starting to see stars everywhere. That blasted wine, of course Vandrake _had_ to go and drink the brand with so much alchohol a normal human couldn't dream of handling. 

Vandrake frowned at her in annoyance. "Now, how in the hell am I gonna suck myself?? Actually, no, don't answer that. I don't want no detailed description of that from _you_." The Duke then quickly added, feeling his headache return.

"Oh, go bite Meahara." Caloris spat back. "When he's done 'unscrewing' the chains from Suren, that is." She then says, smiling evilly as Vandrake groans even louder.

"For fuck's _sake_...!" The Duke hissed, Caloris laughing loudly at his dispence. "That's what you're gonna get for being such a dick, Vandrake!" The attendant sputtered gleefully, not giving an ounce of mercy to Vandrake.

"Fine, woman, _fine_." Vandrake growled, rubbing his forehead this time, not willing to take another iota of bullshit. "We call this a draw, how about that? You fuck off, I'll fuck off. Yes? Great, thank you."

Caloris smirked, but didn't further provoke him. "Still...you're right." She muses then, not missing the tensing of the Duke's shoulders.

Vandrake glowered at her. "...I fucking _know_." He spits, though less threatening than a few minutes before. "Just let her do what she wants and shut your mouth about it to the clansmen. This is my turf now, and unlike Suren, I _do_ know what I'm doing."  

Caloris raises her hands in surrender, deciding maybe Vandrake is actually right about this. Truly he isn't stupid, though he most _certainly_  is a psychopath in the making.

Still, the alchohol was making her more truthful, so Caloris asks him quietly, "And what will you do when our clansmen _do_ find out about you poking around in the Calhoun case...?"

She may not be overly fond of Vandrake, but Caloris doesn't want the Duke's head on a pike either. She sees Vandrake eye her calmly, his poise much more relaxed than before. Confidently, but with an eerie icy tone, he replies, "If you think I'm a psychopath now, imagine what I'll do _then_."

 

In the spur of the moment, Caloris decides it's not Vandrake's words that make her feel uneasy.

 

It's the fact she's _smiling_ at his words that sends a chill down her spine.

 

 

  


	5. Those That Decapitate

 

The winds of the Jade Kingdom picked up as it made its presence known throughout the lands with its eerie howls. As the day of their combined confrontation faded and replaced itself anew with a new dawn, so too did the winds bring new chances. At least, that is what Suren hoped. 

However to start the morning off by standing once again in front of her father's study, alone even, Suren couldn't say if that was the path a sane person should've taken. Curiosity, and a sense of urgency at that, outweighed everything else in the eyes of the princess. So, she knocked softly, hoping her father was in the right mood.

Her quiet, uncertain knock, left the room beyond the door soundless of response. Waiting patiently for permission to enter, Suren prepared to try again after a while, when the subtle, heavy feel of yesterday's confrontation began to swirl slowly around her feet. Suren, closing her eyes, felt the slow increase of pressure, gloom and impending disaster come over her as the King's aura greeted her in a way an executioner would its prey. 

This was still the King of the Jade Kingdoms, not her just her father. Above all, he was a King before he was a family-man, and Suren felt even  _that_  had never applied to him.

Knowing it was not wise to test her father's patience further and feeling his presence to be less threatening than it was yesterday, Suren slowly enters through the doorway into her father's study, closing the door quietly once she was inside.

The gleam of his luminescent celadon eyes was bright, and it was on her form before she even found her father in the room. He was peering at her by looking over his shoulder, standing in front of the large window of the study, bathed in the morning sun's rays. His arms crossed in front of his chest, King Belmont uttered neither a word nor made a sound as Suren slowly scuffled closer to him.

"Father..." Suren greeted him softly, and bowed her head when she came to stand at his side. Still not a word came from her father, but Suren felt he was reeling in his menacing aura. If only a bit. 

Looking up, Suren found her father's eyes to have softened ever so slightly, though he remained silent. After all, she needed something from  _him_ , so he wouldn't claim his turn until she was done. That too was a side to the family, Suren knew.

On top of that, Suren felt more at ease when she was alone with her father. King Belmont was the one Suren felt less intimidated by, for Suren would never openly admit, not even under the penalty of death, that she was deeply afraid of her mother. Her mother was...well. Suren clutched her hands a little closer to herself, not wanting to lead her thoughts astray.

"Father...I wasn't able to say what I originally came here for, yesterday..." Suren than began, her voice still wavering slightly, but at least she spoke her words slowly and clearly. "If...I mean...I'd like to help in the Jade Veins case...these are clan matters after all...and if it's ok I'd like to bring Vandrake with me..." The princess explained looking to her father with kind, but pleading eyes.

"I...I share Vandrake's concerns, father. If this will stop us sending people to test a Construct's power...please. Let us help protect our people." Suren then adds, and though her voice falters, the princess still manages to tell the King what was important. She then drops her hands to land loosely by her sides, and awaits her King's reply anxiously.

King Belmont stares into her multi-coloured eyes as if sizing her up for whatever goal he had in mind for her. Suren gulps, audibly, feeling her muscles tense again when her father still doesn't speak. As such, Suren nearly jumps when her father slowly turns his head to peer out of the window again, letting her suggestion sink in.

The silence stretches on for so long, Suren feared she was being ignored and disregarded from the very moment she walked in. Thinking up of every possible apology, Suren quickly clenches her jaw to quiet herself when her father's smooth voice finally replies to her. 

"For our people...you say." He muses quietly, not looking at her or letting another expression eradicate his vacant one. Suren then stiffens when he finally does look back at her, the lazy glance he had given her before having turned into a stark glare. "And yet you cover the logical course of action up with a desire of pure selfishness."

Suren took an involuntary step back, her heartrate accelerating with such speed Suren felt her legs lose their strength as her anxiety joined the fray by increasing tenfold. Feeling fear overtake her being, Suren couldn't help but stammer. "Father...n-no....that's not what I...."

King Belmont then turns fully to her, dropping his arms from their folded position at his chest, leaving them hanging by his sides as he clenches his fists. Suren's eyes widen as her father's dread overtakes the room entirely, fanning out from the King's form as she can barely stand her ground with the negativity radiating from him.

"Is it not...?" He barely whispers, keeping his voice smooth and even. The King takes a step forward and Suren dares not to move away from him. Inching closer to his daughter's frightened face, the expressionless King then asks her, silkily, but with an edge of danger to it, "...Then why do you insist on hiding behind Vandrake in this?"

Suren had to blink a few times, trying to still her quivering lip as she fearfully let her father make the opening strike. He'd struck exactly right, and pierced armor, flesh and bone in one go.

 

Still, that did not mean Suren was going to yield. She couldn't.

 

Taking a deep breath, followed by an even deeper sigh, Suren drops her hands in defeat. "...I've tried... _not_  to." The princess openly admits, no longer caring for whatever protocol planned would hold her in place. Her father she could handle to some degree, despite his omnipotent presence. Nay, it was her mother Suren feared more and if this could grant her the cards she needed she'd deal with the King. Hell, she'd let him drop the mountains and the seas on top of her even.

"He has something...that I do not have. And what's even more...is that I don't even want what he has." Suren continues softly, finally seeing a slender celadon eyebrow arch up as her father stares at her quizzically. "I suppose...I want to...keep feeling the winds he creates." 

"For you do not create them yourself...is it not?" Her father smoothly adds, hearing the audible gulp coming from his daughter. It wasn't as if he expected a storm to be unleashed, but still...King Belmont felt the first whiffs of air coming from her. Shaky, uncertain and coming and going as fast as they surfaced. As if they never were there.

The King and the princess kept their eyes locked on eachother as they let the following silence consume the room. Suren waited, while her father weighed whatever decision would rise from the surface of his judgement. When his eyes finally closed and a mild, soft sigh escaped his lips, Suren looked up and blinks at him hopefully.

 

"Take Vandrake and head to the Jade Veins. There the both of you will see for yourselves...if you are ready to handle it." 

 

Suren would be lying if she claimed to be fighting the bright smile forming on her lips. When her father's gaze landed on her again, his expression retained its vacant poise at her obvious display of enthusiasm. He didn't berate her for it and let her experience the joy of having been able to get something she wanted from him. He uttered no warning to her as the princess bowed to him before she took a careful step and gently, and with a tinge of insecurity, took her father's left arm and hugged it softly. The King merely glanced down at her, revealing nothing in his expression, but not trying to return her affection. 

"Thank you, father." Suren murmured quietly in the silken sleeve of his coat, taking in the fresh scent. "Vandrake and I shall learn what we can from this experience." His only daughter then adds with a smile as she slowly lets him go. King Belmont watches her bow to him again before she slowly walks back to the door of his room, but halt at the door. Glancing over her shoulder, Suren makes eye contact with the King once more, wordlessly peering into celadon eyes as if checking if her permission still stands.

The ancient King makes no move, his expression still devoid as his poise remains intact. But his eyes do close, as if to say to her that she is free to go as she pleases and Suren smiles at her father before trotting out of the room and closing the door softly.

 

When she was gone, the King's monstrous aura reclaimed its space quickly, seizing the room once again.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

Though she left her father's office with a skip in her step, Suren's gleeful waltz soon turned into slight agitation as she searched the castle grounds for the only other person this permission would mean anything to. Her cousin was without a doubt an early bird, but Suren wasn't sure if she enjoyed her cousin's well adapt skill at the arts of hiding. Thus the princess ascended the stairs to her left, knowing Vandrake's mighty persona longed for something of equal size to match it, and as if foretold by the prophets, found her cousin lounging on the balcony of the third highest tower. With tea this time, Suren noticed with amusement. Jasmin tea, by the subtle scent of it. It wasn't her favorite, but Vandrake loved it. 

Not that he'd admit to it anyone under torture even.

So Suren waited patiently to get her cousin's attention, and soon enough Vandrake glances at her from over his shoulder. Smiling, and ever thankful to the Duke of Serpents' famous sixth sense, Suren gives him a bright smile, though she received little more than a grunt from him in return. Skipping up to him, Suren came to a stop right in front of him and happily placed her slender hands on his shoulders. His brow furrowing at her obvious glee, yet somehow not trying to squat her hands off of him yet, the Duke settled for giving her his best annoyed grunt.

"What heinous crime did you commit this time and how many people do I have to make disappear?" The Duke muttered sourly as set his teacup down, his cousin's hands still firmly planted on his shoulders.

Suren's smile widened and her grip tightened for emphasis. "I spoke to father."

Vandrake quirked an eyebrow in mild surprise. "And you did not die." He says flatly. "How exactly is that news this early in the morning??" He demanded to know, now actually squatting her hands off of his shoulders before standing up. Still it did not deter Suren as her smile remained intact. "We're going to the Jade Veins."

Now both of the Duke's eyebrows rose. It was followed by a processing blink as the information sank in, yet still Vandrake managed to turn what should have been satisfaction into a scowl. "...Right.  _Now_  all of a sudden we're actually allowed to go."

Suren blinked as Vandrake slowly circles around her, not missing the wave of gloom as it started to leak from his form. Rubbing his forehead in rapid growing agitation, the Duke growled low and dangerous. "And let me guess...you're not finding this in the least a bit suspicious?"

"W-Well..." The princess begins, slightly disappointed Vandrake was not nearly as excited as she was, but stops short as her thoughts begin to whirl. Suspicious was perhaps not the right word, but Suren had to admit her father never took action without reason. He also hadn't said 'no' yesterday either but...

He did hint at  _something_. Suren couldn't say what it exactly could be, but her father hadn't been the sole ruler of this kingdom for millennia because he was poor in judgement. The King did say that they themselves could see if there were ready to face a construct in all its might. Was Vandrake therefore right?  

"Do you think there is reason to be?" Suren then carefully countered, though it hinted at her own curiosity as well. 

Vandrake turned to her, his face unreadable as he weighed the possibilities. For that very moment, Suren allowed the silence to stretch and let Vandrake take his decision here. He was after all still a ruler of the southern part of their kingdom and he had kept the borders safe using his tactician skills. Regardless of the direct, if not a tad sadistic, way her cousin liked to present himself, he always did know  _exactly_  what he was doing. His judgement wasn't testing waters here; it was ready to sink entire continents if he needed to.

A heavy sigh was then released from his lips, and the Duke's shoulders finally slumped. "You know what? I'm taking the bait." The Duke declares slowly. "No point in not seeing for myself what is going on there anyway. I...suppose in the very least I owe Destiel."

Suren nodded, her smile returning slowly as she clasped her hands together. "Thank you, Vandrake. I am happy to have you with me." She tells him earnestly, and bowed her head at him.

Turquoise eyes landed directly into Suren's multi-coloured ones when she faced him again, but surprisingly Vandrake did not to let his usual retorts. He simply wordlessly strolled past her, knowing well what they would be going up against. "Save your breath." Vandrake answered her sternly, not looking behind him to see if she followed him. "The Jade Construct wants us to rot, and gratitude will only add fuel to that goal."

Humming quietly in agreement, Suren quickly paced after him.

As she followed Vandrake, Suren couldn't help look down at the floor in uneasiness as she pondered her cousin's words. She knew emotions of any kind could become a potential enemy in the face of a Jade Construct, though she herself had never seen one upfront and personal. Neither had Vandrake apparently, so he had once told her many years ago, and that was in a time and age where the constructs were never even considered to be a problem.

As if on cue, Suren's thoughts were interrupted by her nearly bumping into her cousin when he suddenly stopped to a halt, causing her to give a small yelp. Just as she wanted to ask him what was wrong, Suren was nearly flattened as she felt the full force of the rancorous aura overtake the hallway the two of them stood in. The Princess then exhaled a raspy breath, for she recognized the magnitude of the heinous presence blocking their pathway.

 

Vandrake stood more grounded than she, for the Duke scowled at the Queen waiting for them up ahead.

 

"Mother..." He hears Suren whisper weakly behind him, and Vandrake had to push down the urge to berate Suren's terror. There is little he could blame her for; the Queen is a monstrosity capable of flattening armies with just that condescending glare of hers. No one  _ever_  felt at ease with her and it was ironically his own mother was able to level that same animosity, Vandrake noted sourly. Still, although the Queen didn't match the King's suffocating aura, she still had _evil_  screaming all over her own. It still gave Vandrake the same nauseating feeling, just as he always had with the King, but with his aunt Vandrake actually felt he'd had to retch as his own body protested violently at her presence alone.

Given she was clearly unavoidable, Vandrake decided to march right up to her, straightening his back and plastering his expression with 'murder' written all over it. Hearing Suren behind him gasp, she'd quickly ran after him, although Vandrake clearly heard the speed in her steps die down and become more and carefully placed the closer they got to the Queen.

 "Come to see us off,  _auntie_?" Vandrake mocked as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket, glaring daggers at the Queen. His entire body screamed at him to just concede and walk away, causing Vandrake to utilize his best facade in order not to be shot down and break away. 

The Queen, of course, was not impressed in the least. Vandrake swallowed hard as her aura increased, slamming at him in full force, and he nearly felt his legs give away. Just as he felt the slightest tremble on his muscles giving out, he felt a slender hand come to rest at the small of his back. Although he didn't look, Vandrake knew it was his cousin having caught up with him and  _felt_  his impasse. The princess was quiet and forlorn under her mother's gaze, but some parts of her still functioned even in this high elevated state of fear.

Immediately shifting (forcing, Vandrake would argue) his legs into a more steady stance, Vandrake readied his counterstrike. "Save that shit for your enemies, why don't you." The Duke proclaimed in a low voice, his expression filled with simmering anger. Suren watched her cousin worriedly, but she could feel Vandrake's aura slowly being added to the air, pushing back at the Queen's. Vandrake then placed his hand over his chest, eyeing the Queen menacingly. "Do not think your Scourge will keep me at the walls of your prison forever. I will get the answers you all so cowardly refuse to claim....so do  _not_  get in my way."   

The Queen's stoic expression didn't even crack. Finally, her arms moved as they were calmly folded in front of her chest. "Will that same bravado of yours be upheld in the clutches of the Jade Construct, I wonder...?" Queen Fionne then says in a low voice, not at all interested if any of the two youngsters would be able to answer it. Her serpentine eyes slowly move to glare down at the two heirs, as if sizing up her prey. "...I will be eagerly looking forward to the results of that." 

Suren swallows, her eyes widening in fear again as to the princess it feels as if a cage closes down around her. Vandrake however narrows his eyes, as if daring the Queen to pull a stunt like that on him. However, the Queen, having said what she came to say, closes her eyes as she gracefully spins her heel and walks away calmly. The two heirs of the Kingdom wait until she is far out of reach, and only when her menacing aura is gone do the two of them breathe normally again.

"...What the fuck is up with her...and why in the hell am I even pretending to be surprised here?" Vandrake laughs dryly as he runs a hand through his wild hair. Suren eyes him sorrowfully before looking away from him. "You withstood her better than I ever could...I'm sure she wanted to test our morale. No matter how you look at it...the Jade Construct remains a dangerous matter." The princess tell him quietly, though her eyes are burning with questions. Vandrake sees it too, though he makes no move to see them answered. 

"We've wasted more time than should be humanly possible. I'm sick of these imbeciles daring to stand in  _my_  way of getting the answers _I_  need." The Duke spits angrily. He glares at Suren, making her eye him nervously as she shrinks slightly underneath his livid gaze. "We're going.  _Now_." Vandrake orders and reaches out and roughly grabs the princess by her wrist as he pulls her with him. "A-Hey...! V-Vandrake...!" Suren protests, but Vandrake doesn't relent. "Vandrake..! Wait...we probably need-" Suren utters desperately, but a vicious snarl from Vandrake causes her to hold her tongue instantly.

"I said NO." Vandrake declares angrily, not looking at her as he continues his murderous stride. Anyone, be they servant or knight, quickly moves out of their way to stand against the wall, not willing to be the subject of Vandrake in his rage mode. Though they do stare at the princess being pulled so roughly, none of them dare say anything about it. Suren glances at each of them apologetically, mouthing at them that it's alright, though she can't put anyone at ease with a livid Vandrake stalking the hallways like this.

"No more distractions." Vandrake then says in a low voice, and to Suren it sounds more desperate than anything else. It makes the princess want to speak words of comfort to her cousin, tell him that they'll finally get to see for themselves what they're up against...but finds she has nothing she can say to him. Nothing to ease either of them.

Somewhere in their minds Suren feels the two of them know their kinsmen are willing to let them learn the hard way of the monstrosity waiting for them. They know and feel they want to see them fall down hard and be taught a lesson so daunting, neither of them would dare disobey again. Though it is nothing new as this is now their clan works, to Suren is is yet another piece of proof that doesn't sit well in her own cores. With both her mind and body showing signs that this way isn't right for either of them, Suren feels the same anxiety come up to plague her again. At the same time, she notices to her surprise it doesn't get a chance to build up as much as it usually tends to do, for Suren feels the unrelenting grip of her cousin's hand holding her wrist so tightly as if she were  _his_  prisoner.

The realization causes her to blink curiously as she settles her eyes on Vandrake's back as he pulls the two of them throughout the castle. Before she knows its there, a small smile forms on her lips. The princess cannot help but feel happy Vandrake is with her, for his strength seems to give her some of it too.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

"You two are crazy. I like it."

 

Suren chuckled softly at Maehara, who stood beside the carriage waiting to send the two heirs off. Vandrake merely folded his arms over his chest, his expression more one out of annoyance than anything else. "This is  _not_  the time to come see to your girlfriend, Maehara." The Duke remarked sharply, making a sly smirk form on the Jade Knight's lips before he turned his ruby eyes to the Duke. "Oh, ain't it?" The Knight asks him, pride and ego happy to back up his words. "The entire castle grounds  _heave_  with apprehension. The two of you probably don't even know it, but I can promise you the entire clan is standing on its heels awaiting your judgement."

Not even remotely happy with the amount of attention they've unwillingly gathered, Vandrake's clicked his tongue in irritation before shaking his head. "Nonsense, I tell you. They're waiting for the news to pick up our corpses so they can fucking celebrate they were 'right' all along." Vandrake huffed as he throws his hands up for dramatics, growing increasingly livid at just the thought of this being true. It causes Suren to make a small noise of discomfort, Maehara not missing it. "Yeah, I feel ya..." The Knight consoles her, even understanding Vandrake's resentment. "Be that as it may, you just focus on the task ahead and give 'em hell. You know, in which you murder without actually coming near your target?" The Knight teases, earning a vicious smile from the Duke.

"Oh, I plan to." Vandrake confirms as his smile widens at the thought of his angry fantasies coming true. "But all comes in due time, my dear Maehara...I haven't ruled the Southern Kingdom for 2000 years just because I like to twist a neck here and there whenever I feel like it." 

Although the Knight offers him a smug smile in response, it fades quickly as he remembers the upcoming plight of his royals. "Make sure to stay near Suren. Her seals can offer you some protection against the Construct's aspects, but when you need to run you gotta run." Maehara warns him, though it is out of concern as well. Concern which clearly leaves the Duke staring at him with a unimpressed look, Maehara raising another eyebrow at him. "What?" The Knight asks him, entirely oblivious at why he's getting Vandrake's dry stare.

"Maehara. I am  _not_  helpless."  Vandrake declares coldly, his tone leaving no room for any argument. Not that it exactly landed the intended intimidation, as its now Maehara's turn to give Vandrake a unimpressed stare. "No, you're not." Maehara hums in agreement, but before Vandrake can retort his claim, the Jade Knight is quick to deliver his jab. "But neither of you have seen a construct that conduct this type of negativity. You do not fully know what is coming, even we the Jade Knights do not know. This is Suren's ground, because aggression ain't gonna work where tact is needed. Let her sealing help you."

Vandrake's eyes narrow at the thought of being considered inferior to his cousin of all people, but he still lets Maehara's advice sink in. Even though he might be able to sink entire continents with just rancor alone, Vandrake isn't stupid enough to overestimate his abilities against a rogue Jade Construct. This remains unknown terrain and even he is willing to accept that.

So Vandrake glances over his shoulder at his cousin, who looks up to him curiously. "Can you handle it?" He inquires her, and Maehara glances at Suren in apprehension as well.

The Princess doesn't answer immediately, pondering for a while as she calculates her strength. Looking up, with the two men following her gaze, the three of them watch as she looks at the massive network of seals she cast over the castle grounds earlier, surveying them for their ability to hold a Construct in place. Suren remembers being told by her father to create seals she believed to be able to hold off a Jade Construct going rampant in the kingdom, thought it was never tested. She wasn't given much knowledge either, as she's only been given bits and pieces of what they were and how they came to be. 

Regardless, she knew that in the end, no one could stop a construct that was  _really_  coming for the throats of all living things of the kingdom.

Closing her eyes as her answer comes to mind, Suren makes eye-contact with her cousin again. "To a degree." She answers him finally, het tone solemn. Vandrake, contemplating her conclusion, gives a deep sigh and nods. "So be it." He says slowly, relenting his hold over the subject. Vandrake conceding catches even Maehara off guard, causing him to raise a jet-black eyebrow. "No snarky comment? Who are you and where can we find Vandrake's corpse?" 

Vandrake gives the Knight a stark glare before breathing out harshly through his nostrils. "Reality is  _not_  a choice, Jade Knight. Believe me, I  _wish_  I could bend to it match MY standards." Vandrake shot back, and it came out more morbid than the Princess or the Knight expected to hear him to say out loud. Deciding it was best not to poke around the subject some more, if only for Suren's sake, Maehara decided to leave it at that. He knew after all perfectly well what it was like to swim and  _still_  have the seas crash down on you.

Suren then slowly stepped forward, both men eyeing her next. "We must take our leave, Vandrake." The Princess ushered him gently, placing a hand on her cousin's back pushing him with a soft nudge. "If we remain indecisive I fear we cannot hold back the next wave of malediction our relatives plan to drown us in."

Vandrake gives Suren a pondering glance before nodding slowly. "Indeed." He agrees and beckons Maehara next. The Jade Knight, having his drilled protocol work its magic, takes his stance and bows to the Duke before nodding to the carriage rider. The rider, a fellow Jade Knight, nods back and steps down to walks around the carriage to open the door, waiting for the two royals to get in as he bows his head.   

Placing a hand at each of the royals' backs, Maehara guides them forward as he helps them inside. Suren glancing at him over her shoulder, offers him a small smile and nods at him in appreciation. Ruby eyes flicker with a emotion that is too fleeting for the Princess to catch on, but she is given a warm smile in return. 

As Suren makes herself comfortable in her seat, Vandrake halts himself halfway on the steps. Knowing what is coming, Maehara awaits the Duke's coming question calmly, though Vandrake doesn't bother looking at him over his shoulder. "...Any extra orders from our 'fair' kin?" Vandrake inquires, his tone menacing and oozing with dreary anticipation. 

"Besides the usual plotting? Thought you'd be used to that shit by now, Vandrake." Came the cheerful answer of the Jade Knight, making Vandrake almost groan with how Maehara  _now_   of all times decided to dance around his question.

Glaring at the Knight over his shoulder, Maehara flashed the Duke his most innocent smile yet, even batting his eyelashes as cute as he could possibly manage, which actually earned him a low groan from the Duke. 

"Goddamnit, Maehara..." Vandrake downright hissed, kneading his forehead as his famous 'migraine of irritation' ignited in full force. "This is  _not_  the time to be a dick in plated armor."

It did not help Maehara there saw the perfect opportunity to strike back with his sassiest comment yet, until Vandrake stopped him by pointing an angry finger at him. "Don't. You. Dare." The Duke warned him, earning an evil smile from the Knight.

"Alright, alright..." Maehara conceded, though that bullshit smile remained plastered on his face. Still, after a while he gave a quiet sigh and his expression became more serious as he once again assumed his protocol-based behavior. Stepping up onto a few of the carriage's steps, he only came to a stop once he was right as the Duke's ear. Given the severity of the situation, Vandrake didn't move as the Knight leaned in and awaited the coming intel.

"Even we do not know the details..." Maehara began, his voice quiet enough only he and Vandrake could hear his intended words, "...but know that even the higher-ups from the clan are watching. I'd be lying if I said that people are not waiting for the two of you to be downright shown the magnitude of the problem we're all facing...even if that means having your minds broken by the Construct."

When Maehara moved away from him, Vandrake's expression had become unreadable. Of course that had to be it, Vandrake contemplated gloomily, feeling new animosity rise within the pits of his stomach. Because what better way to have them 'learn' than to destroy them completely? It made him fume, and he would have spit on all of their clan's their oaths and traditions if it were not for his people he had vowed to protect. Without him, they'd all be surrendered to the mercy no Jade Construct possessed. So for now, Vandrake  _swore_  on everything holy and blasphemous, he'd find a way to shut up this entire clan. This Jade Construct was just the beginning of that plan.

Maehara then pointed his chin to him, "You gonna give that thing to Suren yet or what?" Vandrake blinked as he had to think for a moment what this idiot was talking about this time, until it clicked and made sense. His hand moved to the inside of his jacket, checking to feel if it was still there. Feeling it to be present after a while, Vandrake sighed and glanced back at the Knight. "Her seals will be enough." Vandrake says stoically, Maehara rolling his eyes at it.

"Sure sure, but a little extra preparation, no?" The Knight added a little more adamantly,  _really_  not wanting to be send out to actually go and pick up their corpses. Vandrake felt it radiating off the Jade Knight too, and gave another heavy sigh. "Fine...I get it. I'll take care of it. Now,  _shoo_." The Duke uttered in defeat, waving his hand to actually shoo off the Knight. Maehara nodded in satisfaction, pleased at having convinced the Duke of all people, and happily took a few steps back.

On his part, Vandrake too decided to show his best mannerisms (if only not to be called out upon it later) and settled for giving a nod of thanks to Maehara, before wordlessly stepping into the carriage as the door is closed behind him. Bowing to Maehara next, the rider once again climbed into own his seat before ordering the horses to ride.Watching the carriage leave until it was far out of sight, Maehara could only hope that his given intel would somehow allow his Duke and Princess to find a solution without being destroyed themselves. Closing his eyes and letting out a sigh he had kept to himself, Maehara spun his heel and made his way back into the castle.

 

x•x•x•x•x•x•

 

"May I inquire as to what Maehara wished to tell you...?" Suren asked Vandrake quietly. With only eachother as company for the dire task up ahead, Suren wanted to have some meaningful chatter. Even though her cousin possessed the stoicism of a marble fortress, he always did find ways to make for entertainment no matter how sadistic or harsh. Vandrake was still  _much_ better company than any of her other relatives.

Her cousin's eyes landed on her, though he didn't answer right away as he pondered on his his reply. "Just some intel." Vandrake then answered her stoically. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

It wasn't the answer Suren wanted to have, but she knew that Maehara had probably given some sort of warning to Vandrake he didn't want to burden her with. "...I see." The Princess says softly, and turns to look out of the window again. "I thought it...well, never mind."

Empathy was a dreary thing, Vandrake noticed. No matter how much anyone of their clan wanted to shut it down or out, it was always right there when no one wanted to have it. It was the main fuel for all Jade Constructs, the build up of thousands of lifetimes all armed with their own emotional burden. It wasn't as if he had to tell Suren, she already  _felt_  it. She knew from instinct what it was, because she felt it radiating off of him. No matter the feeling, positive or negative, all Dragon Tongue members knew.

 

Still, he was not a cruel man. Manipulative, yes. But not cruel.

 

"A warning regarding our 'lovely' relatives." Vandrake tells her slowly, making sure to put the right emphasis on one of his most hated words. "It's not that I didn't expect anything less, but...I suppose their callousness and might I add their sadism can still surprise me."

Suren watches her cousin in uneasiness as he rests his chin on his hand, staring at whatever he sees out of his side of the window, though if only to rest his eyes at anything other than the inside of the carriage. "Are you alright?" The Princess asks him softly, not sure if she is allowed to comfort him.  

Vandrake waves her off quickly, as Suren is not the only empath present. "I need no pity." Vandrake tell her sternly, causing Suren to blink at him slightly flustered, caught off guard by the sudden hardened look in his eyes. Seeing her hurt expression, Vandrake softens his gaze somewhat, if only so he's not pressuring Suren given whatever hell is still lying in wait for them.

"Understand that this is our reality. We will receive no help or love from those we share blood with. It's been this way for millennia and it is never going to change. That Jade Construct is our problem to deal with, even if it destroys us. Take comfort in knowing that at least...we're not going down without a fight." The Duke tells her, his own protocol and centuries of political skill allowing the tones of his voice to sound like the calmest tide able to survive even the worst of storms. 

The Duke watches in slight curiosity as the many colours in Suren's eyes gleam in their own unique way as his cousin's eyes widen ever so slightly, his answer seemingly having a positive effect on her. Just as quick as it came however, wonder and awe are rapidly replaced with the powerful doubt and lamenting, negating whatever gleam was present in Suren's poise as she looks away from him. "...Do you not...hold any fear?" She then asks him wistfully.

Vandrake blinks at her before scoffing. "Fear? For a Jade Construct?" He inquires a little irked, wanting her question to be more specific.

Suren hums in agreement, though its soft. "Not just for a Jade Construct..." The Princess says quietly, "All of this."

Now Vandrake gives his cousin his full attention as he shifts to turn at her fully. As cryptic as her question might have sounded to untrained listeners, to Vandrake it was the beginning leimotif of a perfect musical score to his ears. Were these the first cracks of something bigger? The first stages of a perfect card house come crashing down? The Duke licked his lips in pleasant anticipation. This was _so_ much better than staring at nothing outside at least.

"Oh, and what be this all of a sudden?" Vandrake continues, not bothering to cover the strong hint of amusement in his voice. 

The Princess looks up at him startled, clearly taken aback as she blinks at him in confusion. "...Eh? I...Well, I think..." 

Like a viper latching onto his prey, Vandrake wasn't planning on letting this go easily. Not when it could possibly benefit him in the long run. Because if he had found something to use on his mother, and dare he say even the rest of their wretched family, by the gods would Vandrake grab onto it and  _yank_  it down with all his might.

"...Go on." Vandrake ordered in a low voice, leaning forward, making Suren flatten herself against her side of the carriage wall. "Tell me what you have concluded." The Duke went on as the tone of his voice shifted without warning into a silky, smoother tone, making Suren shudder as she feels the same dread beginning to radiate from her cousin she had felt in her room with him the day before.

He wasn't asking, Suren could tell. In the dimly lit carriage Suren could see how Vandrake's eyes  _gleamed_  with anticipation. She didn't think her theory would even remotely let her stumble upon Vandrake's terrain like this, but it was clear to her now that she  _did_  slip into Vandrake's terrain, accidentally or not, she wouldn't escape Vandrake's venom. 

Conceding, Suren decided to elaborate. "It's-"

The carriage rocked back and forth as one of it's wheels clearly rolled over a deep dent in the road. However, just as Vandrake wanted to curse at whatever god was out there pissing all over his plans again, he and Suren went deathly quiet when it just downright  _hit_  them.

 

Relentlessly.

 

The wave of dread washed over them as if they were anchored down and were forced to sink into the deep sea itself. Suren clutched her chest as she grunted in the anguish that followed and even Vandrake clenched his jaw as he became downright nauseous of the severe pressure building inside of him. 

"T-The...Jade Veins..." Suren managed to choke out as her breathing refused to settle down to normal, knowing they were within the Construct's range. There was no time for Vandrake to properly reply to her as his body went in overdrive in an attempt to reject the maniacal aura the Jade Construct slammed into his being. The Duke stifled a hiss as he forced himself to concentrate as his body felt as if it fell out of his control, making it nearly impossible to focus.

Vandrake forces himself to look outside and take aim at the wretched thing responsible for this, only to realize the Construct wasn't even in view yet. There was still a terrible distance to go and already he and Suren were being floored by its diabolical presence. Needing another option fast, Vandrake gathered what strength hadn't whittled away yet and called upon the sealing force dwelling within him, only to have his pathokinesis refusing to respond to his orders with the Construct's influence suppressing it altogether. 

With his own sealing abilities not being an option anymore, Vandrake musters his willpower and demands his limbs to move. He proceeds to move over to his cousin, with his very bones downright _protesting_  inside of him at even doing so, and Vandrake plants down his left hand on Suren's shoulder and squeezes _hard_ to force her out of the delirium the Construct emits. The Princess in response gives a startled yelp as she stares at Vandrake with big, wide eyes. The Duke's mouth sets in a grim line upon seeing the sheer panic and hurt in her eyes, but he know this is only the beginning of what is to come.

 

He can't be merciful on her, not now and probably not ever.

 

"Get a hold of yourself, Suren." Vandrake orders her sharply, his body becoming numb as the Construct rages around them with presence alone. "We need your defenses, and we need them NOW."

The Princess, eyeing her cousin as if her own sanity had already left her, shook her head frightfully. "I...I cannot...it won't...it won't let me...I can't...feel...my power..." The Princess stammers, her voice eerily quiet. Her response has Vandrake staring at her, long and hard.

 

 _Goddamnit_.

 

That _he_ can't call upon his power is one thing, but for Suren's abilities to be suppressed like this is downright ridiculous. Without any type of seal the Construct will literally render their minds to dust, and that will _kill_ them.

The knowledge causes the Duke of Serpents to utter one of his most menacing snarls yet, before he hurriedly lets go of Suren and reaches into the inside-pocket of his jacket, fumbling around as he hastily looks around for the item he brought with him. As Suren looks on in trepidation to what kind of weapon Vandrake might be carrying this time, the Princess couldn't help blink in bewilderment when she sees Vandrake pulling out a red velvet box.

Just as Suren is about to tell him that this is even for Vandrake an unusual item to have, Vandrake reaches out and takes her right hand and places the box in it. "Put it on." The Duke says, his voice a little hoarse, but still managing to keep it calm for her.  

Still somewhat in shock at the unexpected gesture of her cousin, Suren looks down as she gently opens the box and finds a brightly coloured green ring within it. "Vandrake...?" The Princess asks him quietly, carefully pulling out the ring to have a closer look at it.

The bright green ring is a thick band with rich ornaments carved on it. Her memory vaguely remembering the people of the Southern Kingdom praising the Duke of Serpents for his skills as an artist, that's when it hit her. "You made this?" Suren inquires, her eyes admiring the craft in wonder before looking up to her cousin in awe. Vandrake huffs, but he gives a nod. "My sealings are not as outlandish as yours or Heaven forbid, my mother's. I've always had the ability to harden my photonic seals, though they clearly are more aggressive than yours when it comes to bending what magic remains in this world." 

Flashing her cousin a warm smile, Suren takes the ring and is about to put it on her right hand, when Vandrake stops her. "Left index finger." He tells her as he eyes the ring solemnly, and Suren nods as she pulls the ring off and puts it on the said finger as Vandrake instructed. 

 

Almost instantly, the hateful aura inside the carriage is nullified allowing the two youngsters to breathe again. Taking the moment of calm to heart, Suren and Vandrake relax as they give their bodies the rest they will need.

 

Suren glancing down at the ring in awe, saying softly to Vandrake, "Vandrake...the Construct's aura...you negated it."

Vandrake merely shrugs, closing his eyes as he elaborates. "I come prepared. While I didn't immediately expect your seals to be ineffective against a Jade Construct...its still a goddamn setback to my plans in the longrun. So, in preparation I crafted that thing to force it's Scourge out and bend it into something more tolerable. My craft doesn't work on me however, it needs to be worn by someone...else."

Leaning back in his seat, Vandrake gives a dry chuckle. "The fucking irony. The Magi's would scold me for the forceful way I claim and bend what shitty magic is left, but right now they can all kiss my ageless ass."

Vandrakes blinks a little annoyed when Suren gives a small giggle, flashing him her warmest smile as she moves over and gently taps his shoulder. "Thank you." She tells him, her smile not fading in the least even when she receives her cousin's usual glare.  

"Don't get attached to it." The Duke warns her. "Knowing the Jade Construct this is merely a temporary solution."

Just as Suren opens her mouth to reply to him, the carriage comes to a grinding halt. True to Vandrake's words, she feels the air sting with a feeling she cannot describe. Before either of them can ponder on it, the door to their left opens and their rider eyes the two calmly. "We've arrived, Your Majesties." He announces and steps back as he awaits their leave. Vandrake huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, ain't that something. Not feeling the strain of the Construct are we, Maleciel?"

The Jade Knight bows his head. "Nay, Your Majesty. The Jade Knights were armed to ward off all of the influence regarding the Jade Construct." 

Vandrake rolls his eyes as he shakes his head, Suren placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come Vandrake...such was to be expected. They are the spellbreakers...not us." His cousin consoles him gently.

"Fuck that." Vandrake scowls angrily. "It's creepy how he can just stand there while our necks were nearly broken."

Sighing and patting his shoulder some more, Suren ushers them both to climb out of the carriage to stand upon hard bedrock and vacant earth. Having solid ground underneath his feet finally, Vandrake glances around at his surroundings, before clicking his tongue when he again is greeted with nothing. "Oh fuck me, where the hell is that thing??" 

"Vandrake..." Suren then whispers behind him, causing the Duke to turn and his eyes widen as has to take several steps back in order to have a full view of the menace in front of him.

It's massive. Suren took a involuntary step back, overwhelmed with the sheer size of it, hovering herself behind Vandrake as they saw in front of them a gargantuan crystalline construct reaching far into the heights of the sky with it's spiraled pillars. It was beyond the size of the palace, and even the castle, with an eerie green glow radiating from its facets no matter where you looked. Carved at the bottom of it's massive structure was the canyon knows as Jade Canyon, which contained seams of the Construct embedded into the earth. 

Vandrake grabbed Suren's arm, mostly to stop her trembling, but made no move to walk towards the Construct yet. "Stay close. That ring is our only defense." Vandrake ordered, his eyes landing on Maleciel next. The horses of the carriage were eerily calm, just like the Jade Knight that guided them. Neither he nor Maehara had exchanged any cheerful greeting, implying the two of them were either in different ranks or they had both been given their usual orders again.

Be that as it may, Vandrake could see the sheer difference between him and Suren, and these armor clad Knights armed with the ability to render all Magi, Wizards and Witches completely useless as they decimated all of their magic. In the face of a Jade Construct, while unable to remove it from existence, they remained incredibly composed and didn't seem affected by a Construct's Scourge.

Vandrake narrowed his eyes as he stares at the unaffected Jade Knight. He and Suren were both nearly flattened by the Construct's dreadful emanation. With this man being so eerily composed, it looked like the Construct didn't even exist. It made Vandrake want to _break_ something.

Feeling Suren's arms slowly wrap around his own jostled him out of his rancorous thoughts, before the Duke forcefully collected himself again. She wasn't trembling so much anymore, but he could still feel it. Her fear, her uneasiness... He couldn't exactly blame Suren for becoming clingy while feeling so anxious; they had no way of knowing if Vandrake's ring could ward off the minacious aura of the Jade Construct long enough to keep them safe. And yet...

 

...they had come for a reason. No matter who or what wanted to destroy them, Vandrake had come here for answers.

 

"We're going." He announced to their rider Knight, Maleciel bowing his head in response. "I shall await Your Majesties' return." He spoke, saluting them both before taking his seat on the carriage again. 

Suren, who still held onto her cousin's arm, looked down at her ring sorrowfully. "Will we be alright...?" She asked him with a quiet voice. Vandrake scoffed, though in his heart the Duke too had his uncertainties. "We'll make it  _happen_  so." Vandrake says to her sharply, partly to convince himself of it as well, before pulling her along with him.

 

 

As they approach the Construct, Suren feels the pressure on her ring increase with each step they advance towards it.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

>  **Artwork I made for the story:**  
>     
> [Duke Vandrake](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/162638226572)  
> [Princess Suren](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/162598697202)  
> [Chibi Suren](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/160200627482)  
> ["Breach" (Suren and Vandrake)](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/165372637342)  
> [An image of Calhoun :)](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/166226620477)  
> ["Fear the Jade Construct"](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/166474433802)  
> ["Malediction"](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/166788945602)  
> [Suren concept](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/167459583722)  
> [Jade Knight Maehara](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/167875965997)  
> [Duchess Sariel](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/167949709212)  
> [King Belmont](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/167984787017)  
> [The Glass Tower](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/168794816672)  
> [Chibi Suren and Vandrake :)](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/170657905662)  
> [The Vritra Race](http://surenlicious.tumblr.com/post/173521640267)  
> 


End file.
